A process is provided for the preparation of anhydrosugar alcohols. The process involves heating a sugar alcohol or a monoanhydrosugar alcohol starting material in the presence of an acid catalyst, and subsequent purification of the anhydrosugar alcohol. In some embodiments of the present invention, film evaporators are used in distillation and purification of the anhydrosugar alcohols. Anhydrosugar alcohols of very high purity are achieved in the practice of the present invention. In some embodiments of the present invention, very high purities of the anhydrosugar alcohols are achieved without the use of organic solvents.