How Iceland Changed the World
The Big History of a Small Island
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4.3 • 4 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"[A] joyously peculiar book." -- The New York Times
‘Bjarnason’s intriguing book might be about a cold place, but it’s tailor-made to be read on the beach.’ –New Statesman
The untold story of how one tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic has shaped the world for centuries.
The history of Iceland began 1,200 years ago, when a frustrated Viking captain and his useless navigator ran aground in the middle of the North Atlantic. Suddenly, the island was no longer just a layover for the Arctic tern. Instead, it became a nation whose diplomats and musicians, sailors and soldiers, volcanoes and flowers, quietly altered the globe forever. How Iceland Changed the World takes readers on a tour of history, showing them how Iceland played a pivotal role in events as diverse as the French Revolution, the Moon Landing, and the foundation of Israel. Again and again, one humble nation has found itself at the frontline of historic events, shaping the world as we know it, How Iceland Changed the World paints a lively picture of just how it all happened.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Bjarnason debuts with an insightful and fawning history of his native Iceland. He begins with the island's discovery by Vikings 1,200 years ago, and delves into the Icelandic sagas to recount how explorer Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir succeeded on her third attempt to reach North America, where she gave birth to the first European American. Though Iceland boasts the "world's oldest surviving parliament," in the 1200s Norway took advantage of a period of civil conflict to seize control of the island, and a succession of Scandinavian rulers held power until 1944. Despite the country's lack of political independence, however, events in Iceland influenced the world far beyond its borders. Bjarnason notes that the eruption of an Icelandic volcano in 1783 had such an enormous impact on global food production that some historians regard it as a precipitating cause of the French Revolution, and explains how Cold War–era politics and geographic attributes led Iceland to host multiple U.S. military bases and the Apollo astronauts as they prepared for their mission to the moon. Rich with entertaining anecdotes and helpful pronunciation guides, this is a winning introduction to a unique and fascinating culture.
