Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Winter's Tales
by Isak Dinesen
A collection of 11 haunting short stories by the Danish writer most famous as Karen Blixen. With their Nordic settings, the Gothic tales draw upon the folk tradition and myths of Denmark. Originally published in 1942.
DK Eyewitness Top Ten Stockholm
by Eyewitness Guides
A compact, illustrated guide in the popular series, featuring favorite attractions.
Birds of Europe
by Lars Svensson
Featuring 3,500 glorious paintings by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom, the second edition of this exquisite guide features updated text and maps.
Stockholm, A Cultural History
by Tony Griffiths
A literary, cultural guide to the art, architecture, traditions and history of Stockholm.
How to Be Danish, A Journey to the Cultural Heart of Denmark
by Patrick Kingsley
Patrick Kingsley interviews Danes, from Copenhagen to a variety of places, including the so-called "happiest town in the world," introducing a homogenized yet highly intricate Danish culture.
Letters on Sweden, Norway, and Denmark
by Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin
Groundbreaking feminist Wollstonecraft records her observations of a late 18th-century journey through Scandinavia in this small masterpiece, rich in detail of people and place.
The Vikings, Lords of the Seas
by Yves Cohat
An indispensable reference that fits in your pocket, this slim volume is packed with maps, archival photos and illustrations.
Stockholm Map
by itmb
A convenient, detailed map of Stockholm and surroundings at a scale of 1:12,000.
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living
by Meik Wiking
Why are the Danes so happy? Some contribute it to the emphasis on the sense of comfort and community known as Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga). Wiking teaches readers about this national philosophy with practical, attainable suggestions of how to incorporate hygge into everyday life.
The Saga of the Volsungs
by Jesse Byock (Translator)
A piece full of traditional lore, including runic knowledge, jealousies of princes, betrayals, unrequited love, the vengeance of a Barbarian queen, the greed of Attila the Hun and the mythic deeds of a dragon-slayer.
Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings
by John Haywood
This history of the Vikings tells their story through a series of innovative maps and excellent photographs. It traces the routes of 9th-century Viking merchants and explorers throughout Europe and the New World.
The Almost Nearly Perfect People, Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia
by Michael Booth
Guardian journalist Booth writes with laugh-out-loud humor and brutal candor about the Scandinavians, mixing history and his own experiences in Nordic regions in this searing cultural portrait.
DK Eyewitness Top Ten Copenhagen
by DK Publishing
A compact, illustrated guide in the popular series, featuring favorite attractions in Copenhagen and a pull-out map.
Smilla's Sense of Snow
by Peter Hoeg
Set in Denmark and Greenland and aboard a secret ship, this page-turner, out in a 20th anniversary edition, includes an excellent portrait of modern-day Copenhagen. Beneath its eerie surface, the novel wrestles with racism and the tangled relations between Denmark and Greenland.
The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages
by Alain Erlande-Brandenburg
This pocket-size encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages features hundreds of drawings, color illustrations and a chronology.
Missing
by Karin Alvtegen
Set in contemporary Stockholm, this tautly constructed tale marks the U.S. debut of Karin Alvtegen -- Sweden's Queen of Crime. Intricately plotted and emotionally complex.
Stockholm, City of My Dreams
by Pers Anders Fogelstrom
Young Henning Nilsson arrives in Stockholm on the eve of the Industrial Revolution, eager for success, love and a fully experienced life in this Swedish classic of historical realist fiction, happily now available in an English translation.
The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen
by Hans Christian Andersen, Diana Crone Frank, Jeffrey Frank
A newly refurbished collection of 22 tales, adroitly retranslated by Diana and Jeffrey Frank and with the original illustrations.
Copenhagen Map
by Berndtson & Berndtson
A handy laminated street map of Copenhagen in full color at a scale of 1:11,000.
The Messiah of Stockholm, A Novel
by Cynthia Ozick
Set in the dark of Stockholm's winter, this atmospheric short novel follows the peregrinations of Lars Andemeing -- and his search for his father Bruno Schulz.
A History of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland
by T.K Derry
The story of Scandinavia from prehistory to the present with chapters on the Viking and Lutheran kingdoms, medieval times, monarchies, the World Wars and modern period, emphasizing the common cultural, political and social backgrounds.
The Vikings
by Else Roesdahl
This well-written look at Norse civilization goes beyond the limited view of the ruthless Viking invaders, creating a full picture of the vibrant, artistic, agricultural and exploratory culture