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.
Independent People, An Epic
by Halldor Laxness
Rich in local color, this great mock-epic by the Icelandic Nobel Prize-winner features the indelible Bjartur of Summerhouses, a hard-headed, independent-minded sheep farmer.
The History of Iceland
by Gunnar Karlsson
Gunnar Karlsson, Icelands premier historian, chronicles the age of the Sagas, consulting them to describe an era without a monarch or central authority.
The World of the Vikings
by Richard Hall
This book explores Viking life and culture in detail: their appearances, warfare, targets, crafts, and weapons, as well as their stunning pattern-welded swords and helmets.
Insight Guide Iceland
by Insight Guides
This guide emphasizes culture and history, with wonderful photographs, maps and essays from experts.
Beyond the Northlands: Viking Voyages and the Old Norse Sagas
by Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough
Beyond the Northands explores this world through the stories that the Vikings told about themselves in their sagas.
North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland
by Evan Sung (Photographer), Jody Eddy, Gunnar Gislason
Catering to a rising interest in Nordic cuisine, this cookbook celebrates Iceland’s food alongside its haunting landscapes, portrayed in starkly beautiful, full-color photos.
Ring of Seasons, Iceland, Its Culture and History
by Terry G. Lacy
A longtime resident of Reykjavik, Lacy weaves tales of family life, anecdote, lore and history into this illuminating personal portrait of Iceland.
The Prose Edda: Tales from Norse Mythology
by Snorri Sturluson
Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, The Prose Edda is the source of most of what we know of Norse mythology.
The Sagas of Icelanders
by Jane Smiley (Editor), Robert Kellog (Introduction)
Nine sagas and six tales composed between the years 1000 and 1500, including an account of Leif Eriksson's voyage to North America, all newly translated.
The Blue Fox: A Novel
by Sjon
Winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize, Sjón is a celebrated Icelandic poet and novelist. Set in 1883 in Iceland, follow the priest, Skugga-Baldur, on his hunt for the enigmatic blue fox.
Song of the Vikings, Snorri and the Making of Norse Myths
by Nancy Marie Brown
Brown brings to life not just the great Norse tales of medieval Iceland but also the life and times of the worldly Icelandic chieftain, known as the "Homer of the North."
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings
by Peter Sawyer (Editor)
Twelve leading scholars draw on the latest research and archaeological evidence to provide the clearest picture yet of this fabled people. Painting a fascinating portrait of the influences that the "Northmen" had on foreign lands, the
contributors trace Viking excursions to the British Islands, Russia, Iceland, Greenland, and the northern tip of Newfoundland, which the Vikings called "Vinlund."
Nordic Runes: Understanding, Casting, and Interpreting the Ancient Viking Oracle
by Paul Rhys Mountfort
A comprehensive and practical guide to the ancient oracle based on the runic alphabet of the Norse. Nordic runes are a potent and profoundly transformative magic system that gives contemporary readers access to the ancient wisdom tradition of Northern European cultures.
A Viking Voyage
by W. Hodding Carter
An unforgettable adventure story that will take you to the heart of some of the most magnificent, unspoiled territory on earth, and even deeper, to the heart of a journey like no other.
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.
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.
Names for the Sea, Strangers in Iceland
by Sarah Moss
A stranger in a strange land, British novelist Sarah Moss captures the spirit of Iceland in this tale of a year in Reykjavik with her husband and two children.
Hrafnkel's Saga and Other Icelandic Stories
by Herman Palsson (Translator)
This collection of the most famous of Icelandic sagas includes stories with titles like Thorstein the Staff-Struck and Ale Hood. Dating from the 12th century, these tales vividly recreate the society of medieval Iceland.
Letters from Iceland
by W.H. Auden
Written with fellow poet Louis MacNiece, this quirky, under-appreciated masterpiece captures the spirit of Iceland, its people and landscapes.
Iceland: Land of the Sagas
by Jon Krakauer, David Roberts
Circumnavigating Iceland in summer and winter, Krakauer and Roberts encounter tales of monks and Vikings, outlaws and adventurers, trolls and witches. While touring and photographing, they discover the myths and legends of Iceland's stirring history.
