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History of Scandinavia: A Captivating Guide to the History of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland
Five manuscripts in one History of A Captivating Guide to Swedish History, Starting from Ancient Times through the Viking Age and Swedish Empire to the PresentHistory of A Captivating Guide to Norwegian HistoryHistory of A Captivating Guide to Danish HistoryHistory of A Captivating Guide to the History of the Land of Fire and Ice, from the Viking Age to the PresentHistory of A Captivating Guide to Finnish History
In contrast to their Danish and Norwegian cousins, Swedish Vikings traveled east rather than west in search of riches, land, and power. The extensive river systems of Russia provided economic and military “super-highways” to the adventurers from the north, who journeyed down them all the way to the Black Sea and Constantinople in search of fame and riches.
In the first part of this book, you will The Swedes’ fierce struggle to gain independenceThe “Father of Sweden,” King Gustav Vasa and his dynasty that spawned some of the greatest military minds in EuropeThe hero Raoul Wallenberg and his role in WWIINorway is a unique country located on the fringes of Europe. Its climate and geographical position determined the lifestyle of the people inhabiting it. It was never an easy life. The constant scarcity of arable land, the vast distances they had to traverse due to the myriad of fjords and mountains, and the long and harsh winters in the inland areas made Norwegians constantly struggle for a better life.
In the second part of this book, you will Where did the first Norwegians come from?How did the early Bronze Age societies live in the harsh environment of Scandinavia?When was oil was discovered in Norway, and what does it mean to its citizens today?For centuries, Denmark “punched above its weight” and was a major player on the European stage. Many know about the Danish Vikings and their voyages of conquest and discovery, but Denmark is more than just those medieval raiders and traders, even though interest in their adventures is at an all-time high today.
In the third part of this book, you will Does Denmark really appear in the top three of the world’s “happiest” countries?Were the Danish Vikings only interested in conquest? And what were their relations like with Europe before the Viking Age?What was life like for Danish Jews during WWII?Iceland, the land of fire and ice, has a storied history. After the Norse discovered Iceland, they began to settle it, allying the island nation with Norway. However, as power shifted in Scandinavia, Iceland would come to be governed by Denmark for several centuries.
In the fourth part of this book, you will The Old Covenant with Norway and what that meant for IcelandThe conversion from paganism to ChristianityIceland’s struggle for independenceFinnish culture is centuries old, yet Finland itself has only been an independent nation for just over one hundred years. This book pulls back the curtain so you can get a better look at Finland’s history. Its history is exciting, even without the Vikings, and its proximity to Russia is something that is still talked about in the news today.
In contrast to their Danish and Norwegian cousins, Swedish Vikings traveled east rather than west in search of riches, land, and power. The extensive river systems of Russia provided economic and military “super-highways” to the adventurers from the north, who journeyed down them all the way to the Black Sea and Constantinople in search of fame and riches.
In the first part of this book, you will The Swedes’ fierce struggle to gain independenceThe “Father of Sweden,” King Gustav Vasa and his dynasty that spawned some of the greatest military minds in EuropeThe hero Raoul Wallenberg and his role in WWIINorway is a unique country located on the fringes of Europe. Its climate and geographical position determined the lifestyle of the people inhabiting it. It was never an easy life. The constant scarcity of arable land, the vast distances they had to traverse due to the myriad of fjords and mountains, and the long and harsh winters in the inland areas made Norwegians constantly struggle for a better life.
In the second part of this book, you will Where did the first Norwegians come from?How did the early Bronze Age societies live in the harsh environment of Scandinavia?When was oil was discovered in Norway, and what does it mean to its citizens today?For centuries, Denmark “punched above its weight” and was a major player on the European stage. Many know about the Danish Vikings and their voyages of conquest and discovery, but Denmark is more than just those medieval raiders and traders, even though interest in their adventures is at an all-time high today.
In the third part of this book, you will Does Denmark really appear in the top three of the world’s “happiest” countries?Were the Danish Vikings only interested in conquest? And what were their relations like with Europe before the Viking Age?What was life like for Danish Jews during WWII?Iceland, the land of fire and ice, has a storied history. After the Norse discovered Iceland, they began to settle it, allying the island nation with Norway. However, as power shifted in Scandinavia, Iceland would come to be governed by Denmark for several centuries.
In the fourth part of this book, you will The Old Covenant with Norway and what that meant for IcelandThe conversion from paganism to ChristianityIceland’s struggle for independenceFinnish culture is centuries old, yet Finland itself has only been an independent nation for just over one hundred years. This book pulls back the curtain so you can get a better look at Finland’s history. Its history is exciting, even without the Vikings, and its proximity to Russia is something that is still talked about in the news today.
597 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 20, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 4, 2025
History of Scandinavia: A Captivating Guide to the History of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland is a fabulous book! It is written by Captivating History which focuses on creating history books that are mesmerizing.....and they deliver!
Some interesting facts found in this book include:
* Sweden has not been involved in a war for over 200 years.
* At one time, Sweden was a considerable world power.
* Sweden and Norway do not have much arable land.
* Although Sweden is neutral, their military has some of the most technologically advanced weaponry in the world. They have 50,000 soldiers and a reserve of 2.5 million men and women (from a population of 10 million).
* During the 1960's, oil was discovered in Norway.
* Denmark and Norway were combined from 1536 - 1814.
* Iceland and Greenland were once Norwegian territories.
* Denmark is frequently one of the top happiest countries.
* Denmark had power and influence because Denmark controlled access to the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
* Over 7,000 Danish Jews were successfully smuggled to Sweden during World War II.
* Denmark has high taxes on alcohol, cigarettes, and foods with high sugar content.
* Only 20 - 25% of Iceland is habitable.
The only criticism I have is that this is six separate books condensed into one, so, at times, the information is a little repetitive.
Some interesting facts found in this book include:
* Sweden has not been involved in a war for over 200 years.
* At one time, Sweden was a considerable world power.
* Sweden and Norway do not have much arable land.
* Although Sweden is neutral, their military has some of the most technologically advanced weaponry in the world. They have 50,000 soldiers and a reserve of 2.5 million men and women (from a population of 10 million).
* During the 1960's, oil was discovered in Norway.
* Denmark and Norway were combined from 1536 - 1814.
* Iceland and Greenland were once Norwegian territories.
* Denmark is frequently one of the top happiest countries.
* Denmark had power and influence because Denmark controlled access to the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
* Over 7,000 Danish Jews were successfully smuggled to Sweden during World War II.
* Denmark has high taxes on alcohol, cigarettes, and foods with high sugar content.
* Only 20 - 25% of Iceland is habitable.
The only criticism I have is that this is six separate books condensed into one, so, at times, the information is a little repetitive.
April 9, 2025
Quite interesting book, easy read as well.
A good editor would have smoothed it a bit, I think.
Sometimes sentences are (partly) a bit repetitive.
But I learned a lot, and I am greatful that the writers have made this book.
Because of my remark about editing, I can only give 4 stars to this book.
But when you look at how imformative it is, I would have loved to give it 5.
A good editor would have smoothed it a bit, I think.
Sometimes sentences are (partly) a bit repetitive.
But I learned a lot, and I am greatful that the writers have made this book.
Because of my remark about editing, I can only give 4 stars to this book.
But when you look at how imformative it is, I would have loved to give it 5.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews