I approached the book with little to no knowledge about Norway's history. I was hoping this would be a guide to give me the main beats of Norwegian history, providing the grander context of events, and letting me know my way around.
Unfortunately this book is not a good guide for a novice. Instead of presenting the major events in a clear and a concise manner, this book instead provides an "alternate" timeline of events, that didn't take center stage at the time. The author assumes that the reader is already familiar with all the major and minor events of Norwegian history, politics, constitution, coalitions, parties, geography, and conflicts, and weaves his own narrative by highlighting the events he found interesting, or would like to shed more light on. E.g., there is literally NO telling of what Norway went through during the second world war.
While this book probably gave me more than a fair share of Norwegian history, it did not give me the overview and introduction I was looking for.
Since most of it went over my head, it's hard for me to know whether to recommend it to people more familiar with Norwegian history. But if you're a "newbie" and want to learn about Norway's history - do NOT take this book as your guide.