This book was pure fun! Peter Stark who has written on winter sports for Outside magazine, has penned some interesting and informative essays on his lifelong fascination with snow, the Arctic and winter sports. The author packed up a 1974 Volkswagon minibus and set out to drive to Greenland. Full of fun escapades and musings on that wonderful fluffy, white stuff-snow.

Peter Stark speaks warmly of the 'carnivorous' North in his introductory essay, "A Life Built on Snow." The 'life' he refers to is his own. His grandfather was a skater and iceboater, he and his mother and father were (and are) skiers. His whole family belonged to the winter. All the way through this book, wintery thrills overtake fear--the thrill flying four hundred feet down a ski jump; the thrill of stomping a ski into the snow at the top of a slope, then watching the resulting avalanche take out the whole hill; the thrill of hunting narwhal off Greenland's icy shore.

The author drives to Greenland in the sense that he arrives in a two-engine Cessna Skymaster after puddle-jumping across the bleak terrain of Baffin Island, dodging through flocks of lesser auks along the way.

First though, his essays take us ski jumping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, sliding for glory down Lake Placid's Olympic luge course, through a run down Aspen's World Cub downhill course, and down Mount Hood. There's a sense that the author only really comes alive during these icy adventures, when all his senses are focused on the moment.

Luckily for us, he is able to share that aliveness with his readers. He puts us in touch with something beyond our immediate selves--I'll call it the spirit of the North for lack of a better term.

Between adventures, there are long, interesting riffs on different types of ice and snow, a short history of Iceland, and a discussion on building the perfect sea kayak (among other Northerly subjects).

Peter Stark is a contributor to "Outside," "Smithsonian," and "New Yorker" magazines. His latest book is "Last Breath: Cautionary Tales from the Limits of Human Endurance." He is also the editor of an anthology of writing about the Arctic, "Ring of Ice." He typifies a rugged new breed of 'hands-on' journalists, and "Driving to Greenland" should appeal to both armchair adventurers and to those few among us who actually long to live in the heart of winter.

The publisher's blurb refers to Peter Stark's "infatuation with snow." Obsession may be a better choice! Stark has written on winter sports and winter adventures for Outside Magazine and other periodicals. This is an exceedingly fine description of his recent journey from Montana through Canada to the icy reaches of Greenland. A "must read" for anyone interested in modern arctic and northern travel.

This is a thorough, wide-ranging, scholarly work - a useful and insightful review that stretches over a millenium in time. Although the book charts the course in history of this geographically and culturally linked collection of peoples, it still emphasises the individuality of each. I hadn't realised just how complex a relationship of inter-dependence and rivalry existed between these nations for so long. Among the more fascinating discussions in the book, I would list: church-state relations especially in the period following the reformation, the impact of the industrial revolution and the development of the welfare state, the period leading up to the second world war and the relationship between the various countries and the major powers during the war (i.e. Finland with Russia, Denmark with Germany, etc.) and the historical contribution of each nation to the arts and sciences. One small criticism: I would have liked to have seen some maps in the book - my knowledge of Scandinavia is not so extensive that I could picture the geographical relationship of the many places mentioned. I especially found the early part of the book very heavy going, and difficult to follow the many movements of people that were detailed.

The author does an excellent job of covering Scandinavia during the war years. His use of information from Eisenhowers private papers brings a whole new dimension to understanding what was going on in each country. I was not aware that near the end of the war Ike had a serious plan to liberate the Norwegian Allies from the NAZIS, by first liberating Denmark, then proceeding overland across Sweden. (I wonder if he would have given the job to Patton?)

In reading this book it becomes very apparent at how much the state-church relation influenced much of Scandinavia, and also it's people. It was also incredibly interesting to read about how the countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway kept separating, and uniting. For anyone who is interested in Scandinavian history, that delves way beneath the surface, look no further, TK Derry writes a book that can't be ignored.

This is a very interesting book. She uses Christian books to understand women's role in Pagan Iceland. It seems to me she goes out of her way to find female suffering. If the Christians say something negative about the Pagans. She sees that as a fact, but if a Christian shows women with power in Pagan Iceland, then she thinks this is just a Christian romance of their Pagan forebearers.
This is a good book, but with flaws.

This is Jochen's companion volume to "Old Norse Images of Women," which focuses on images of women in Norse literature. These literary images *may* be more Christian patriarchal fantasy than real. "Women in Old Norse Society" looks at the reality of women in the Viking Age, using the Icelandic Sagas and the recorded Laws as the main sources of information. Jochens argues that the sagas are both historical and literary sources.

Paganism lasted much longer in Scandinavia than the rest of Europe, which meant women there enjoyed a more equal relationship with men for a considerably longer time. Jochens explores the Pagan-Christian conflict very fairly, looking at both the advantages and disadvantages the shift to Christianity brought for women. For example, in pagan times women had little say in whom they married, and Christianity brought the advantage of female consent. Jochens looks in great detail at important female issues such as marriage, reproduction, leisure and work. Especially fascinating is the "economics of homespun," or how women's economic contribution of woven cloth eventually became the main medium of exchange.

One of my favourite aspects of Jochen's writing is her frequent use of Old Norse words, clearly explained, adding a fascinating linquistic layer. She references her work meticulously, making it a very scholarly read, yet it is highly readable for anyone interested in women's history.

It is amazing how much information she managed to pack into this book, without overwhelming the reader AND with keeping it interesting. She included Old Norse (Icelandic?) language in the text without taking away from the content or causing confusion. (I don't speak either.) It actually added to the book. She covered all facets of Norse society and also noted the differences between how the Icelandic and Norse cultures developed over the years. It is definately a book that I recommend for anyone interested in historic Norse society, especially the female culture.

If you're looking for a book which discusses various aspects of the culture and society of Medieval Iceland, look no further! I am finding this book to be a wonderful read, providing many of the details I was looking for. It does just what a good book should do imho - provide valuable insight AND additional references to other books which illuminate other areas I am interested in.

This is a great reference! It is written by "The Expert" in the field and is both factual and interesting! If you like reading about the vikings---look no further!!

Jesse Byock's work provides a fresh insight into a fascinating subject. A "must read" for anyone interested in the vikings and medieval Scandanavia.

This large, coffee-table book shows the strange, startling landscape of Iceland from above. Each photograph is accompanied by a one or two line description, and there is also an introduction. A map shows the location of each natural wonder. The photographs are beautiful. They do not include the sights usually seen in tour books, such as waterfalls and cliffs, but concentrate on various interior mountains, river valleys, and icefields. This is the Iceland that you may never otherwise get to see. Many of the landscapes are so strange, that they could be mistaken for abstract pieces of art. My only negative criticism of the book is that, in many photos, a bird or other item should have been included as a guide to indicate scale.

I was trying to get some reference for the Icelandic landscape for a film on which I was working. No other land on Earth could contain the richness of Iceland. You really feel that God reached down and painted this island. This is definitely a coffee-table or reference book. It's hardcover and it's binding holds up well under stressful conditions. There is really little text, which was fine because the pictures say it all. Lily Winter's review is dead on. The pictures really look like abstract paintings. You see everything from the flowing coastlines to the snow-capped mountain peaks...not to mention the formations that thousands of years of lava flows and glaciers have created. I highly, highly recommend it!

This book is great for a good overview of the entire country--the history, the people, the food, the main attractions. It explains about the different parts of the country. Some of the pictures are just sterotypical Sweden--Sweden is much more diverse then people realize. They have immigrants from many countries. Scandinavia is a beautiful place. The museum details are not up to date, but this is hard because they change often and can be closed for various reasons. Be sure to do research before you go there if you have specific places you want to see. Otherwise just head over and wander the streets and you will find great stuff. This is more of a book to read before you go rather then to carry around with you while you are there. The Iceland Insight Guide is great. As a side note: I lived in Stockholm, Sweden for one year working. I visited all of the Scandinavian countries and Finland while I was there.

Being Swedish, it is always fun to read how other see Sweden and Swedes'. It is a great book that is more in depth on real life and how people are. You will feel that you know the people more after you have read the book. This whole series of Insight guide are great books for anyone travelling for real or if you want to travel by reading a book. You will not be disappointed with this book.

All of the stories in this collection are worth reading, and some of them are very fine. I didn't expect to become so involved by some of them, such as "The Padlock," about a young boy's experience of the shame of being impoverished, or another tale of a child, the title story, in which a lovely thing (a cheap toy) becomes the occasion of a bitter scuffle between siblings. "The Changing Earth," the long tale that opens the collection, will remain in my mind as, with Turgenev's "First Love," an evocation of youthful romance. Sigurdsson also writes well about someone late in life, in his story of Pastor Bodvar.

The short story "The Changing Earth" (which opens this collection by Olafur Johann Sigurdsson) is the most beautifully written story of which I'm aware in world literature. Alan Boucher translated this piece from the Icelandic many years ago, but his new effort is superior and captures the author's use of language amazingly well.

The strength of this book is that it uses the sagas as a tool to learn more about viking age Iceland rather than ignoring it as folk lore as other historians have in the past. This approach also makes the book a lot more readable and enjoyable for those who do not like a dry history book with facts and dates and people names. In addition, I also enjoyed the details about how they built their houses and the lay-out of their houses.

However, the author seems to fall short in the area of icelandic marraige and relationships between the men and women, other than in terms of feud or law. The book seems to focus a great deal on law and not so much on the personal family life of these individual icelanders.

To make up for it, the book does site passages from the sagas about different people in a political context.

But if you buy this book, you really don't have to bother buying medieval iceland. These two books pretty much cover the same ground.

This is an excellent book about the society that produced the great Icelandic Sagas. This is not a narrative history but an effort to describe the essential features of Icelandic life. While the period covered spans centuries, there is strong continuity in Icelandic culture during this time and the basic features of Icelandic culture were largely unchanged from the settling of the island to the establishment of Norweigian royal domination. Written by a leading scholar of Icelandic literature and history, this volume describes the material basis for Icelandic life, provides a good deal of information about the ecologic impact of the settlers, and provides an outline of the major historical events in the period from the settling of Iceland to the beginning of Norweigian lordship. The center of the book, however, is a detailed and lucid discussion of the unique political and legal structure of Iceland. Iceland was settled by Norse fleeing the emerging powers of monarchs in mainland Scandinavia. The near subsistence nature of Iceland's economy required dispersion of people across all the viable portions of the island and the absence of useful cash crops and other sources of exports prevented concentrations of power. Iceland had no central government, no towns, and a legal system based on relative equality. Iceland was not a feudal state, there were no overlords, and even after the conversion to Christianity, the Church had little power. Governence and justice were essentially private matters, worked out by individuals either informally or through a sophisticated legal system that ostensibly was based on equality. The key figures in this system were chiefs who commanded authority by virtue of family and political ties, legal skill, wealth, and charisma. These positions were not hereditary and were based partly on ability to command allegience of smaller farmers. Failure of chiefs to lead well could lead to desertion by followers. Excessive success by Chiefs in amassing power could lead to local violent reactions and the antagonism of other chiefs, preventing the emergence of regional leaders who could have become overlords. This system for centuries maintained a relatively egalitarian society very distinct from feudal mainland Europe. Byock does an excellent job of describing this society and tracing its ecological and historic roots. Byock provides also a very interesting and cogent analysis of feuds, which appear as central elements in many Sagas. While most commentators and readers are often impressed at the violence in the feuds, Byock points out the many ways in which feuding was channeled into non-violent ways of resolving disputes. In Byock's analysis, the manipulation of feuds is a cardinal example of the ways in which the highly individualistic and competitive Icelanders prevented serious damage to the social fabric. For Byock, the overarching theme of Icelandic culture during this period is the channeling of individual passions and resentments into non-destructive results, a remarkable goal in a society without formal government in our sense and entirely private means of seeking justice for grievances and disputes. It may also be this unique feature that gives the Sagas their great appeal. Byock uses effectively many quotations from different Sagas to illustrate his points. In so doing, he shows how the Sagas exemplify the cultural focus of Icelandic society.
It is surprising that a group of stories devoted largely to personal and legal conflicts among a group of Medieval farmers continue to command a large audience. The skilful composition of the best Sagas explains some of their appeal but other forms of Medieval literature do not attract this many readers. The underlying theme of conflict between individual impulses and social cohesion is tremendously appealing to modern readers.
This book contains a number of excellent additional features including good maps illustrating the locations of the major Sagas and other important aspects of Icelandic life.

At a recent academic symposium about Viking culture, one member of the audience asked, "Why didn't the Icelanders protect their settlements in Greenland with police or the military?" From his point of view, it was a reasonable question -- except that he had missed the point completely about why Iceland, especially during its golden age from AD 870 through 1260, was a truly unique society.

Professor Byock in his excellent VIKING AGE ICELAND zeroes in on this period and answers the question why this society was like no other. Where mainland European societies were all ruled either by large or petty despots or by the Church, Iceland was governed more or less by the consent of the governed. There was some slavery, and people on the edges of society fared no better (or worse) than anywhere else -- but your average Icelandic freeman and even women had some protection from the rich and powerful.

Until its submission to Norway in 1260, Iceland was a country without an executive, without an army, without a navy. Instead, grievances were addressed by seeking powerful allies whose self-interest in the issue could result in some gain for them. If a neighbor or even a chieftain encroached on your property, you could bribe another chieftain to become involved on your side. You may lose some property, but keep the most part intact for your heirs. (On the continent, your life AND property would both be forfeit.) Chieftains had no clearly defined territory, but only adherents -- and adherents could at any time align with competing chieftains at any time. Any disputes that showed signs of getting out of hand were ultimately resolved at the althing, an annual meeting of the chieftains and their adherents at Thingvellir in the southwest of Iceland.

Byock takes the sagas as his principal source and carefully shows how conflicts were resolved in such a way that life and property were protected. That is not to say that bloody, long-lasting feuds did not erupt -- but the damage was limited by the intercession of chieftains so that the feud would not divide society at large. As Njal Thorgeirsson says in NJALS SAGA: "With laws must our land be built, or with lawlessness laid waste."

Some of the features of Icelandic society are difficult for us hieratic Europeans and Americans to comprehend. Byock provides detailed and lavishly illustrated examples to make his points clearly and convincingly. Indeed, in few historical works that I have ever seen has there been such superb illustrative maps and charts. Additional support is provided by comprehensive notes, bibliography, appendices, and index. This is at the same time a scholarly and an eminently readable work -- and by far the best study of Icelandic society to date.

I bought this book after I'd been here for a couple of months. Luckily, I already had the Lonely Planet's Guide to Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The Landmark Guide has good pictures, but not much else. I'd only recommend it if you already have the Lonely Planet Guide and some experience with the island. It will not help you find a good hotel or good restaurant, and for some reasons skips a lot of the good places to see. A big disappointment.

Having just spent more than 2 weeks in Iceland, I've had a good opportunity to see which guides worked and which ones didn't. To begin with, Cathy Harlow's excellent book is more along the lines of the DK Guidebooks: excellent pictures, printed on heavy glossy paper, and short on up-to-date, detailed info on accommodations and restaurants.

In other words, this is a book to read and enjoy BEFORE going to Iceland, but it takes up too much weight for the info it conveys. Let's face it, the 20-kilo weight restriction for international flights, together with the even more severe practical limitations for people who use public transportation where there are no porters or native bearers are strong reasons to travel as light as possible.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this book and would strongly recommend both the texts and photographs as an excellent introduction to a fascinating travel destination. Used in conjunction with the Rough Guide to Iceland or, even better, the updated Lonely Planet Guide to Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, it is a worthwhile book to read and to keep for reference.

I recommend this fantastic book to anyone intersted in Iceland. Forget the other guide books, none of them compare to this complete guideto Iceland.

This short volume provides a good introduction to the area of Icelandic Saga literature. Centring around Hrafnkel's Saga, but including six other bite-size tales, the style of writing may be a little dry for some tastes. However, for me, the plain-speaking narrative reflects a harsh way of life on the North Atlantic island. The action revolves around individuals, their families and followers, and reveals a surprisingly political edge to early life in Iceland. It is not a case of epic plots - the issues are at a personal level. These tales were recorded for a later audience , perhaps as salutory tales - instructions, not just stories. The characters are often abrupt in word and deed, but I found this a refreshing, and often amusing, change from less prosaic fantasy adventures - after all, these are (mostly) real people, and real life. This book encouraged me to read more sagas, and I haven't been disappointed.

Hrafnkel's Saga is one of the classics of Icelandic literature, and for good reason. It tells the story of a man with a not-too-pleasant character who must endure--and learn from--the misfortune caused by his own actions. Hrankel's Saga is very rich in terms of the insight it gives into Old Icelandic society and its understanding of honor and justice.

As is usual for the family saga genre, the writing style is spare and terse. Much is implied rather than stated outright, and a close reading is often necessary to catch the subtleties of characterization. Because of its short length, Hrafnkel is a great place to begin saga reading, even better in my opinion than the similarly short but more "romantic" Gunnlaug's saga which is often the first saga assigned to beginning students. I've read both several times, both in English and in Old Icelandic, and I find Hranfkel's Saga much more complex and satisfying.

It's not easy to dive cold into the world of the Icelandic saga. One of the advantages of reading HRAFNKEL'S SAGA and the shorter sagas and tales in this volume is that you get a good idea of the best of the genre in less than 150 pages. According to Magnus Magnusson in his excellent book ICELAND SAGA, "it is nothing short of a masterpiece, a brilliantly wrought short novel that has been published and translated and written about more than any other saga."

Given that, what can you expect? In the strange world of the Icelandic saga, there is little mention of the deity other than in passing: To the Icelanders of the classic age, all that mattered is what strength and cunning and stamina YOU had, and whether you could rely upon any stouthearted friends of like mettle in a pinch. At the heart of every saga are one or more conflicts. The better man does not always win; justice does not always triumph. Hrafnkel is heroic, but he is no hero: In our time, he would be a convicted felon for slaughtering his shepherd Einar. In the age of the Vikings, he was a stern man of his word in whom people could rely.

Curiously, even in today's Iceland, adherence to the Judaeo-Christian tradition is seen only as an alternative, one imposed from without. The minister at the pulpit is as likely to discuss Hrafnkel and the other great Saga heroes as he is the Gospels. In a way, the sagas are taken as scripture.

The oddest thing of all is that most of them were probably written by Medieval monks: Christianity there underwent a strange sea change into something rich and strange.

So as you read these instructive tales, consider that they represent a different world view in a tiny island nation whose people know them by heart. The Icelandic language today is virtually identical to the Old Norse spoken by the first settlers of Iceland. Imagine if English were identical to the Anglo-Saxon of BEOWULF!