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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Almost Nearly Perfect People, Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia
by Michael Booth
Guardian journalist Michael 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.
A History of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland
by T.K Derry
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.
Out Stealing Horses
by Per Petterson
A deliberate and astonishing novel. Looking back on his early childhood in rural Norway, Trond Sander fixates on a fateful summer. In 1948, after the death of a child, his father's decision to abandon the family and the crippling guilt of his best friend, the course of Sander's life would be altered forever.
The Northern Lights, The True Story of the Man Who Unlocked the Secrets of the Aurora Borealis
by Lucy Jago
The compelling story of Kristian Birkeland, the turn-of-the-century Norwegian scientist who devoted his career to understanding the aurora borealis, this book also covers the science, history, myth and romance of the phenomenon.
A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic
by E.C. Pielou
Our bestselling book on the Arctic, this guide covers the geography and climate, plants, birds and wildlife of the Circumpolar North.
Wildlife of the North Atlantic, A Cruising Guide
by Tony Soper, Dan Powell (Illustrator)
This compact, illustrated guide covers the many petrels, ducks, gulls, terns and other seabirds, as well as the rich abundance of life existing under the waves, that populate the vast Atlantic region from the British Isles to Newfoundland.
Norwegian Folk Tales
by Peter Asbjornsen
This rich collection of stories, interpreted by a leading scholar on ancient traditions and tales, will delight both adults and children.
The Northern Lights, Celestial Performances of the Aurora Borealis
by Ned Rozell (Introduction), Calvin Hall (Photographer), Daryl Pederson (Photographer)
Shot in Alaska, one of the best places to watch the Northern Lights, these images capture the natural phenomenon in all its splendor and majesty. Hall and Pederson’s 160 photographs were taken with ultra-HD cameras during a period of unusually high solar activity.
The Fellowship of Ghosts, Travels in the Land of Midnight Sun
by Paul Watkins
A captivating travel memoir in which novelist Paul Watkins interweaves his own experiences in Norway with those of early eccentric visitors. Along the way, Watkins offers vivid, evocative accounts of the country’s majestic mountains, dramatic landscapes and expansive snowfields.
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.
Eyewitness Guide Norway
by Eyewitness Guides
This handsome, illustrated guide covers nature, culture, history and attractions.
Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings
by John Haywood
The history of the Vikings told through a series of innovative maps and excellent photographs. This book traces the routes of the ninth-century Viking merchants and explorers throughout Europe and onto the New World.
Norway Map
by Michelin Travel Publications
A handsome map of Norway at a scale of 1:1,000,000, with a place index and shaded relief.
Cross and Scepter
by Sverre Bagge
In his scholarly Scandinavian history from the Vikings to the Reformation, Sverre Bagge spends little time with myths, instead focusing on the development of northern European societies and their rise from the Dark Ages.
The Arctic, A Guide to Coastal Wildlife
by Tony Soper
An essential handbook for the ship-based traveler, this compact guide to the plants, marine mammals and birds of the Circumpolar North features handsome watercolor illustrations and lively text. This new edition includes a section on the Bering Sea.
In Cod We Trust: Living the Norwegian Dream
by Eric Dregni
A Minnesotan of Norwegian extraction, Dregni writes entertainingly of Norwegian culture and the immigrant experience in this delightful account of a year living with his wife and infant son in Trondheim on a Fulbright scholarship.
Kitchen of Light: The New Scandinavian Cooking
by Andreas Viestad
By a celebrated Norwegian food writer, this handsomely illustrated compendium pairs recipes with an engaging history of Scandinavian cuisine.
Through the Eyes of the Vikings, An Aerial Vision of Arctic Lands
by Robert B. Haas
In this captivating collection of oversized aerial photographs, Haas (Through the Eyes of the Gods) reveals the surprising diversity of color and life in the arctic landscape, including Norwegian fjords, Alaskan tundras and Swedish waterscapes.
