Brief History of Iceland [Paperback]

Gunnar Karlsson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Mal Og Menning,Iceland (December 31, 2000)
• ISBN-10: 9979320346
• ISBN-13: 978-9979320340
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,136,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > History > Europe > Iceland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A good first source for anyone interested in the whole of Icelandic history, October 22, 2007

By 

Christopher Culver - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brief History of Iceland (Paperback)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ICELAND, published by Mal Og Menning of Reykjavik in 2000, was written by the history professor Gunnar Karlsson and subsequently translated into English by Anna Yates. It aims to present the whole of this nation's history in 64 pages, excepting photo credits and the index.

The book consists of 31 two-page sections dealing with some particular era or facet of Icelandic history, such as "Settlement" (870-930), "Dark Ages" (1600-1785), and "Liberated Women" (1970-2000). I found the balance refreshing, for example description of World War II and the Cold War most interesting, as the US presence in Keflavik is said to have benefitted the economy enormously, though it is claimed the Americans stayed on after WWII against their promise to withdraw. In each section there are a few colour photos, and the production of this trade paperback on good-quality paper is satisfying.

While all such brief history books leave out details that many would find important, Gunnar Karlsson's A BRIEF HISTORY OF ICELAND is well worth a read if you want to discover this country for the first time.