Iceland's 1100 Years: History of a Marginal Society

by Gunnar Karlsson

Iceland’s 1100 Years recounts the history of a society on the margin of Europe as well as on the margin of reaching the size and wealth of a proper state. Iceland is unique among the European societies in being founded as late as the Viking Age, and in surviving for centuries without any central power after Christianity had introduced the art of writing. This was the age of the Sagas, which are not only literature but also a rare treasury of sources about a stateless society.

In sharp contrast to the prosperous society portrayed by the Sagas, early modern Iceland appears to have been extremely poor and miserable. It is challenging to question whether the deterioration was due to foreign rule, to a colder climate, or to an unfortunate internal power structure.

Or was the Golden Age perhaps the invention of 19th-century nationalists? Iceland adopted nationalism quickly and thoroughly. In the mid-nineteenth century about 60,000 inhabitants, mostly poor peasants, set out to gain independence from Denmark, which was finally achieved in 1944 with the foundation of a republic. In recent decades Iceland has caught up economically with its closest neighbours. This has come about mainly through the mechanisation of fishing, which gave rise to a second battle for sovereignty, this time over the country’s fishing grounds.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, European History, World History, Historical

432 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2000

Reviews

[Caio Donalisio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I knew absolutely nothing about the subject -- this was my first introduction to Iceland. And what an introduction!!
This book is what every history book for the general public should aspire to be.

History of Iceland might seem lengthy at first sight, 432 pages is a significant number -- yet, all those pages are divided in 4 sections, and those are divided in a total of 65 subsections. This makes each topic very objective, concise and enjoyable for the average reader. Not only that, the author clearly makes an effort (and succeeds) at not using a dry and academic language, some times even adding fun facts and personal experience.

Still, this book is not short of details and minutiae, the author has a wide range of numbers, graphs and statistics that add a lot of depth to his work - for example, on page 190 there is a whole page dedicated to comparing the stimated average temperature of Greenland, Iceland and England from 500 CE to 2000CE.

All in all, this was an excellent read and I strongly recommend it. If you have the slightest interest on the history of Iceland, search no more -- this is the book you were looking for.

[Shauna Ludlow Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author draws from his experience as a professor to write this comprehensive history. Admittedly I didn't read every topic, but found it interesting. If you want to save the cost of taking a college history class, read this book instead.

[Hobart Mariner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Survey history of Iceland up to the late 20th century. Gently mocks and dispatches the various nationalistic myths that have arisen over the centuries. Especially negative toward the mythology of the Commonwealth period (before Iceland became a tributary state of the Norwegian crown). It wasn't all fine and dandy for the early settlers. Very good at blending social, economic, and legal history together: particularly good in the later chapters at tracking the mark that feminism has made on modern Iceland. The episode of Jorgen Jorgenson's coup in the early 19th century was completely new to me and kind of funny. Karlsson is mildly anti-American and anti-NATO. In his closing reflections he notes that the only time Iceland had military defense, during the high tide of American military bases, they were racked with political disagreement and popular discontent, whereas they were able to stand their ground quite well as a practically unarmed force during the Cod War with Great Britain.

In spite of his negative attitude toward nationalism and myth Karlsson does evince a personal fondness for the country. Several events in the fourth chapter (20th century) are recollected from the first person, with a sort of nostalgia for turf houses or a sense of importance for the establishment of the Republic. He's sharp enough to see through the "oldest lasting democracy" tourism ad copy, but he loves the sagas. At the very end he seems to indicate that, if anything makes Iceland special, it's the literary history. I could probably drink to that.

The book is organized into four parts, each of which splits into a dozen or so short chapters. Very enjoyable read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a 4.5, 6 or 7. I'm going to visit Iceland, and I first thought that I might not really want to read an academic history, but I really enjoyed it. It was a slow read for me, because I know little about Icelandic history, literature, or culture, but Karlsson is an engaging writer. I enjoyed his discussions about how the Icelandic Sagas have shaped Iceland's historiography and culture, and his infrequent but helpful short reminiscences about his own family history in tenant farming and turf houses, as well as his memory of the declaration of Icelandic independence helped to draw me in. I'm very glad that I kept on with this book. Be prepared to learn more than you might have thought you needed to know about the specifics of life in Iceland, and review the Note on Orthography as the spellings of Icelandic names can be daunting. Past a certain point (for me, the 4th Jon Jonsson), you may need to just take them as they are.

[Clément · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening deep dive into Icelandic history, which does feel at times like a college class. Due to the relative lack of publications on the subject in English, this is a very welcome read. One of its strengths is to focus on traditionally dismissed portions of history, such as the history of women, and to explain when and where there are scholarly controversies about certain aspects of those histories. Of course, the fact that it is all the work of one historian calls for more readings in order to get a more complete view of Iceland.

[Gustavo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um livro com muita informação, o que é ótimo, porém o estilo 'livro didático' torna a leitura exaustiva. O bom é que você pode focar nos pontos que realmente lhe interessam sem perder o objetivo, conhecer um pouco mais sobre esta história incrível. Não foi fácil encontrar um livro sobre a história da Islândia, contudo espero poder ter acesso a outros materiais em formatos mais amigáveis e lineares.

[May Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5⭐️

Thorough and well written book about the full history of Iceland, from the first settlement, to the early 21st century. Writing a full history of a country is always a monumental task but Gunnar Karlsson accomplished it brilliantly. I didn't read everythjng because some periods and social aspects interested me more than others, but I still enjoyed this book. The short chapters made it easy to keep up as well.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually really fascinating. I think one has to have an interest in History (or in Icelandic history specifically) in order to be as fascinated as I was, but maybe not. It's a relatively thick book, but the short chapters keep the reader interested and the pace flowing - which is helpful for some of the more dry chapters that were scattered about.

[Todd Cheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is what it claims. It is an exhaustive composition of the history of Iceland. I have a trip to to Iceland and wanted to deeper dive the cultural, economic, and political history of the nation. This was the right book to use. The author does an extraordinary job of organizing and narrating the dense details.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it was more of a textbook than a readable history. I had also just visited Iceland so I was extremely interested. The author draws significantly from his own life and I found that enjoyable.

[Isabel Ruby-Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m glad I skimmed this (still counting it on good reads as Read) but it was a real slog! Good background info on Iceland before we left, but could use less about sagas / land allocation and more about Vikings and volcano/glaciers and how locals interact with them

[Jason Emmerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a history textbook, informative with lots of detail but very dry.

[Michala Cellerova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good comprehensive book to read before coming to Iceland if you want to have a complex look at the country.

[Mary Kaener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, VERY in depth. I maybe could have used a summarised version? I ended up skimming most bits to try and squeeze it into my holiday.

So really, DNF.

[Eric Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF

It’s very detailed but just way more so than I wanted for my 5 day trip to Iceland.

[Dubya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend if you're planning a trip to Iceland. It was very nice to be able to contextualize many of the places and things we saw. (Just read the chapters that seem interesting to you)

[Madeline Rochon · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE most vital source for anyone interested in learning about Iceland.

[Elia Princess of Starfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

What comes to your mind when you hear of the island of Iceland?

Do you see stern, sombre Vikings stride off a long ship onto the untamed wilderness of Iceland?

Is it an isolated and far-off community of farmers, fishers and civil servants separated from Western Europe and North America culturally, linguistically, socially, ethnically and historically as a Nordic nation?

Does the image of modern-day, affluent and tolerant Iceland come to view? Of picturesque Reykjavik, of the beautiful Blue Lagoon or of Northern Lights shining in the night sky, which brings millions of tourists to Iceland every year?

No matter what picture is foremost in your mind, Iceland is fascinating and deeply interesting to explore from whatever perspective you can think of! It is an island nation rich in history, politics, culture, linguistics and society, one that has evolved unique and interesting manners and traditions resulting from their isolated island position and proud devotion to their Viking past. Iceland, its country and its people, is one that has endured intense hardships and tribulations, both natural and man-made, only to emerge stronger and more prosperous in the end and its story should be better known in the wider world.

In this text, the Icelandic historian, Gunnar Karlsson, has written a broad, informative and highly interesting book of the nation of Iceland from its earliest Viking origins and settlement in the 9th century to its modern day, affluent and rapidly increasing and diversifying population as Iceland further opens to the wider world in the early days of the 21st century. The book has several perspectives: historical, cultural, social and economic all with a distinct focus on their unique Icelandic features. This history textbook on Iceland from several different viewpoints has been written by a deeply knowledgeable and experienced historian who has chronicled the long, winding and often complicated story of Iceland and its people from their Viking past to the modernisation of the 21st century.

The book itself follows a chronological and well-structured timeline while being broken up into four distinct sections (Viking Settlement, the High Middle Ages, the Early Modern Age and the Start of the Modernisation of Iceland) which is further sub-divided into smaller chapters that are clearly defined and pithy. All the chapters are carefully researched, and footnoted while being accompanied by numerous tables, charts, bar graphs and pictures of Icelandic life and rituals. However, since all the photos are in black and white, it would be prudent for an updated version of this text to have photos in colour.

This is a soberly written, deftly researched and engaging historical textbook on Iceland and its people. It has been extensively researched, carefully laid out and written in an accessible yet greatly interesting manner. Insightful, erudite and free from bias, Karlsson has written a serious and intensely detailed tome of Iceland from various perspectives and overlooks such as history, culture or economics. It focuses on several specific but crucial moments of Icelandic history such as the Viking founding in 830 AD, the establishment of the Althing in the 10th century or the declaration of the Icelandic Republic in 1944 describing how such moments defined and shaped the Icelandic nation for decades to come.

This textbook on Iceland and its 1100 years of existence is highly recommended for both serious historians and the general public interested in Iceland. This is an excellent, well-researched, highly detailed and educational text on Iceland from a cultural, historical, social and economic perspective, Highly informative and open to casual and professional historians with no overly superfluous jargon. Follows a clear chronological timeline and explains coherently and carefully the Icelandic situation. Diligently researched with an extensive and respectable bibliography and important section are strenuously footnoted.

A brilliant and thoughtful book on Iceland and its inhabitants.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice comprehensive history of Iceland. You know the phrase, "Well behaved women seldom make history"? Well the same can be applied to countries too, it seems. Unless you already have a strong interest in Iceland, I wouldn't recommend this book. Nothing to do with the author but rather, it's the story of a country that evolves without the use of violence. Impressive, but it doesn't make for good reading if you're not already invested in knowing about Iceland. Luckily, I am invested and I found the book to be very informative and well written as well.

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relatively concise, easy to read and informative(if perhaps a little dry) history of the island from its settlement through to the post-war era which mercifully steers clear of too much national myth making and highlights traditional historiographical disagreements which would not otherwise be apparent to the uninitiated. Basically if you want to discover Iceland's history thoroughly and quickly, you could do a lot worse than this, just expect a beautifully composed or rollicking narrative.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly dry and academic - but nevertheless interesting - history of Iceland from the settlement era through to 2000. Having read about the sagas of the Settlement Era, I wanted something that would bring me up to date, and this book did that - although I would have liked more coverage of the environmental and ecological factors affecting Iceland during that time, which are alluded to but rarely addressed directly.

[Lyndsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this in prep for a trip to Iceland in May. While I didn't finish it until I returned home, I had read enough of it to enjoy many of the more obscure landmarks that most tourists probably overlook. If you're looking for an overview, there is an abbreviated version of this text that will give you the down-and-dirty on Iceland. If you like history books, or are obsessed with Iceland like myself, this complete version is well worth the read.

[Robert Bogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m by no means a history buff, but there’s something about Iceland that drew me in and made me want to understand the story behind the island nation in the North Atlantic. The History of Iceland is a tome about the Icelandic people and how this amazing island came to be.

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[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one volume english language history of Iceland. Covers the whole history. Recommend if you want to read a history of Icelan.

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a history book, but the chapters are short and pithy, which makes it easy to read.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a well-written history text. i didn't know much of anything about icelandic history before reading this. i think it has given me a nice foundation on the topic.

[Laura Watt · Rating 3 out of 5]

good basic history of Iceland, although less focus on the "marginal" than I'd hoped for from the subtitle...