A History of the Swedish People: Volume II: From Renaissance to Revolution [Paperback]

Vilhelm Moberg (Author), Paul Britten Austin (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2005

In the second volume of his vivid history of the Swedes, Vilhelm Moberg brings his focus on the common people to bear on a period that included two dramatic revolts: the national insurrection under Engelbrekt and the last desperate attempt of the Smaland peasantry to retain their medieval liberties - a defiance bloodily crushed by King Gustav Vasa. Using a wide variety of local historical source materials, Moberg studies the ruthless monarch Vasa and his two tragic opponents: the psychopathic Christian II of Denmark and Nils Dracke, the leader of the Smalanders. Furthermore, he examines the enigmatic and wide appeal of the Swedish forest and investigates the origins of the Swedish hatred of Danes, which was implanted by propaganda through songs commissioned by Karl VIII's chancellery. Moberg's history has been widely hailed by the Swedish press as a masterpiece of popular history writing and has been an all-time best-seller in Swedish bookstores.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Swedish (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

In the second volume of his vivid history of the Swedes, Vilhelm Moberg brings his focus on the common people to bear on a period that included two dramatic revolts: the national insurrection under Engelbrekt and the last desperate attempt of the Smaland peasantry to retain their medieval liberties - a defiance bloodily crushed by King Gustav Vasa. Using a wide variety of local historical source materials, Moberg studies the ruthless monarch Vasa and his two tragic opponents: the psychopathic Christian II of Denmark and Nils Dracke, the leader of the Smalanders. Furthermore, he examines the enigmatic and wide appeal of the Swedish forest and investigates the origins of the Swedish hatred of Danes, which was implanted by propaganda through songs commissioned by Karl VIII's chancellery. Moberg's history has been widely hailed by the Swedish press as a masterpiece of popular history writing and has been an all-time best-seller in Swedish bookstores.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press; 1 edition (February 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816646570
• ISBN-13: 978-0816646579
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A history of Sweden that is not like any other, September 14, 2005

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A History of the Swedish People: Volume II: From Renaissance to Revolution (Paperback)

Vilhelm Moberg (1898-1973) was one of Sweden's leading men of letters, chiefly remembered today for his peerless emigrant tetralogy. His Min Svenska Historia was his life's work, and only completed after his death. Published in Swedish in two volumes, this book is the English translation of the second book, taking the history of Sweden from Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson and the dissolution of the Kalmar Union through to Gustav Vasa.

Unlike most history books of the era, though, this one is written with a definite slant. Moberg became disillusioned with the heroic history that he had been taught in his school days, finding that the great men and women of Swedish history actually had feet of clay that made their enshrining ludicrous. Embracing socialism in everything, he sought to write a book that reached past the kings and bigwigs of history, and told the story of the men and women that made the country everything that it was.

The book is quite iconoclastic, poking fun at many people who figure large in other history books - kings, soldiers, and magnates. In many ways it is a book ahead of its time, refusing to genuflect before anyone, and making for some humorous and fascinating reading. My one complaint against this book is that it contains no index, which limits its usefulness for everyday use (at least in the 1973 edition that I have access to).

So, if you are interested in reading a history of Sweden that is not like any other, or if you are interested in reading the thoughts of the great Vilhelm Moberg, then I highly recommend this book to you.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars jaded but basically good history, May 31, 2001

By 

Silas D. Robertshaw (Sacramento, CA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of the Swedish People, Volume II: From Renaissance to Revolution (Hardcover)

The book is a generally solid history of Sweden which tries to focus more on the common man. Moberg is successful in this aspect and his book is very readable. However, he even states that he was disillusioned with heroes of the Swedish state when he learned of thier darker side later in his schooling. This disillusionment colors his his book throughout. It is akin to recent books on Washington and Jefferson that focus on slavery and discard the enormous good they did for their country. Istead of writing a balanced asessment of figures throughout Swedish history, he takes sides, commiting the same error, though in the opposite direction, as the nationalistic historians. I learned much on Swedish history from this book, but realized early on that it all must be taken with a grain of salt.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The drama continues in Volume 2!, January 1, 2007

By 

ThorBjorn "Norseman" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of the Swedish People: Volume II: From Renaissance to Revolution (Paperback)

From the Renaissance, to the modern era! Mr. Moberg continues the saga of the Nordic lands, describing the deeds of the heroic rebel Englebrecht Engelbrechtson, the suppression of the commoners by the king Gustaf Vasa, the rebellion of MY ANCESTORS the Smalanders, and many wars between Sweden and Norway for dominance of the Baltic region. This time period saw the arrival of Lutheran philosophy in the church. The careers of the great kings: Gustavus Adolphus, hero of the Thirty Years War; Charles XII, and his heroic but fatal struggle with Peter the Great of Russia. The advent of the Age of Enlightenment...to the Industrial Age, and massive emmigration to North America. All through this, the average Swede soldiered on...