American National Biography

The American National Biography (ANB) is a 24 volume biographical encyclopedia set containing approximately 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies. A 400-entry supplement appeared in 2002. In addition to significant investment by Oxford University Press, funding came from Rockefeller Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities. The general editors were John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes.

The ANB bills itself as the successor of the Dictionary of American Biography, which was first published between 1926 and 1937. It is not however a strict superset of this older publication; the selection of topics was made anew.

It is commonly available in the reference sections of United States libraries, and it is available online by subscription (see external links).

Awards and reception
In 1999, the American Library Association awarded the American National Biography its prestigious Dartmouth Medal as a reference work of outstanding quality and significance. The American Historical Association's Waldo G. Leland Prize was awarded for 2001.

It has been criticized for missing cross references and occasional errors, and for its cost, which is said to limit availability in poor countries.