It was endowed in 2001 by
Arthur Ross, an American businessman and philanthropist, for the purpose of recognizing books that make an outstanding contribution to the understanding of
foreign policy or
international relations. The prize is for nonfiction works from the past two years, in English or translation, and is accompanied by a monetary award. The amount of the prize has varied from year to year but has sometimes consisted of a $30,000 "Gold Medal", a $15,000 "Silver Medal" and a $7,500 "Honorable Mention". The award is administered by the
Council on Foreign Relations, an American nonprofit
nonpartisan membership organization, publisher and
think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs. ==List of winners==