The Anthropology of Iceland  •  E. Paul Durrenberger CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1995 •  PAPER  • 286 PAGES Divided thematically, this scholarly book addresses topics such as archaeological research, gender, class and culture. (ICL10, $17.95)
Arctic Dreams, Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape  •  Barry Lopez NATURAL HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 417 PAGES • FAVORITE One of the best books we've read on any destination, this celebrated meditation on the Arctic draws on Lopez's travels throughout the North, including Baffin Island, Siberia and Greenland. A dazzling writer and compassionate observer, Lopez weaves biology and history into his storytelling, including extended chapters on the polar bear and narwhal. (ARC11, $15.00)
The Arctic, A Guide to Coastal Wildlife  •  Tony Soper  •  Dan Powell FIELD GUIDE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES A compact, illustrated guide to coastal marine mammals and seabirds of the circumpolar north featuring handsome watercolor illustrations by Dan Powell and lively text on the natural history of each species by intrepid expedition leader and bird-lover Tony Soper. An essential handbook for the ship-based traveler. With a brief overview of history, short chapters on plants and invertebrates, and glossary of snow and ice. (ARC85, $21.95)
Bradt Guide Faroe Islands  •  James Proctor GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 198 PAGES A practical guide to the North Atlantic islands in the popular series, essential for anyone contemplating an extended visit. With islands maps, city plans, and detailed information on what to do and where to go throughout the archipelago. (ARC156, $21.95)
Chronicles of the Vikings: Records, Memorials and Myths  •  R.I. Page CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1996 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A collection of Viking writings, organized thematically, including runic inscriptions, poems and a handful of eyewitness accounts. Scholar R.I. Page provides commentary to compliment his translations. (VIK16, $27.95)
Culture Smart! Finland  •  Terttu Leney GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 168 PAGES A concise, well-illustrated and practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture. (SCN41, $9.95)
Far Afield  •  Susanna Kaysen LITERATURE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 338 PAGES This charming novel about a social anthropologist off on a grant to study the residents of the Faroes wonderfully evokes the people, culture and windswept landscapes of the islands. Kaysen must have spent time in the islands to capture such a strong sense of place. (ICL08, $14.00)
Frost on My Moustache, The Arctic Exploits of a Lord and a Loafer  •  Tim Moore TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 280 PAGES In this inspired folly, a British comic heads north, supposedly in pursuit of the famous Victorian explorer the "Marquess of Dufferin and Ava." Moore's account of his travels in Iceland, Spitsbergen, Norway, the Faroes and other northern locales make for good reading (especially if you appreciate dead-pan British humor on such subjects as vomiting and discomfort). (ARC74, $12.95)
Geology  •  Frank Rhodes FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PAPER A brief, authoritative overview of the geology of Earth, its relation to the universe, and a survey of rocks, minerals and formation. A Golden Guide. (GEO18, $6.95)
The Greenlanders  •  Jane Smiley LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 608 PAGES • FAVORITE This marvelously researched novel recreates life in the Viking settlements in Greenland, which disappeared 500 years ago. Smiley delves in the medieval colonies, their struggles to survive in the harsh environment, contacts with indigenous people and causes of their disappearance. It includes the tale of the Norse discovery of North America. (ARC08, $15.95)
Hrafnkel's Saga and Other Icelandic Stories  •  Herman Palsson LITERATURE •  1971 •  PAPER  • 137 PAGES This collection of the most famous of Icelandic sagas includes stories with titles like Thorstein the Staff-Struck and Ale Hood. Dating from as far back as the 12th century, these tales vividly recreate the society of medieval Iceland. (ICL31, $14.00)
Iceland's Bell  •  Halldor Laxness  •  Philip Roughton LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 425 PAGES This major historical novel by Iceland's Nobel Laureate, set in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and influenced the medieval Icelandic sagas, is here translated into English for the first time. Laxness evokes the atmosphere of the period in Iceland and of Denmark. As in all his work, Laxness creates memorable characters (as decribed in his Nobel presentation speech): "the wretched tatterdemalion Jón Hreggviosson; the fair maid Snaefriour Eydalín; and above all, the learned collector of manuscripts, Arnas Arnaeus, in whom Iceland lives robustly." (ICL22, $15.95)
An Illustrated History of the First World War  •  John Keegan HISTORY •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 448 PAGES • COMING IN An illustrated edition of Keegan's outstanding history of the Great War, considerably enhanced by his selection of almost 500 photographs, maps, drawings and illustrations. The visuals clarify and augment his wide-ranging narrative of the origins, battles and consequences of WWI. (WAR16, $50.00)
Lapland, A Natural History  •  Derek Ratcliffe NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 320 PAGES An authoritative, indispensable overview of the birds, plants, habitats and wildlife of the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland and northwestern Russia. Divided by habitat, with color plates interspersed throughout, it is a detailed, meticulously researched -- and hefty -- reference. (ARC182, $65.00)
Lonely Planet Iceland  •  Deanna Swaney GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER A concise guide to Iceland with short essays on history, culture and attractions and plenty of practical travel information. This guide replaces Lonely Planet Iceland, Greenland & the Faroes. (ICL06, $22.99)
Mammals of Europe  •  Priscilla Barrett  •  David W. MacDonald FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Published by Princeton, this is a field guide to land and marine mammals throughout Europe, both endemic and introduced. With more than 600 color illustrations of over 200 mammals, it's a comprehensive handbook, with detailed descriptions, range maps and commentary on behavior. (FG61, $34.95)
Marine Mammals of the North Atlantic  •  Carl Christian Kinze FIELD GUIDE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES A handsomely illustrated guide and handbook to whales and dolphins, porpoises, seals and other marine mammals of the North Atlantic by a Danish biologist. With 250 color illustrations and range maps. (FG60, $22.95)
The Norsemen in the Viking Age  •  Eric Christiansen HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 378 PAGES This scholary history of the Norse takes somewhat of a revisionist approach, examining the evolution of Viking culture as a direct reaction to threatening environmental and social forces at home and abroad. (VIK17, $26.95)
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings  •  Peter Sawyer HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES This compact, well-produced book, featuring contributions by 12 experts, is an insightful overview of the Viking Age. With numerous black-and-white illustrations. (VIK18, $27.95)
Paradise Reclaimed  •  Halldor Laxness  •  Magnus Magnusson  •  Jane Smiley LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES The quirky tale of a poor rural farmer, his royal gift of a white pony and an impulsive detour into 19th century Utah, rich in irony, character and incident. Originally published in 1960, this edition celebrates the centenary of the Iceland Poet Laureate's birth. (ICL23, $13.00)
Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings  •  John Haywood REFERENCE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES A thorough history of the Vikings as told through a series of innovative maps and excellent photographs of Viking artifacts. This book traces the route of the ninth-century Viking merchants and explorers throughout Europe and on to the New World. (VIK02, $20.00)
The Prose Edda  •  Snorri Sturluson  •  Jesse Byock LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A new translation of one of the most influential and entertaining medieval Icelandic sagas, the source for much of what we know of Norse mythology. (ICL26, $15.00)
The Real Vikings: Craftsmen, Traders and Fearsome Raiders  •  Melvin Berger  •  Gilda Berger HISTORY •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 54 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) This colorful guide gives young readers a nice overview of the history of the Vikings and dispels several myths about their brutality and choice of headgear. The Bergers, no strangers to the world of children's literature, focus on the Vikings' emphasis on equality and democracy without ignoring their penchant for violence. An easy and engaging read for kids in grades 4 to 7. (SCN31, $18.95)
Rick Steves' French, Italian & German Phrase Book & Dictionary  •  Rick Steves LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A compact phrase book for travelers, organized thematically and with a brief dictionary. French, German and Italian phrases are side-by-side on the page so that you can pick and choose depending on the situation. This is no dry litany but instead peppered with humor and Rick Steves' insider insight into how to break the ice and make friends around the world. (EUR142, $9.95)
The Royal Physician's Visit  •  Per Olov Enquist LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Swedish novelist Enquist fleshes out a footnote in Danish history in this story of the Enlightenment-era Danish court, the mad king Christian VII, the ambitious royal doctor and the passionate young queen. It's a wonderfully realized book. (DMK21, $14.00)
Scandinavia Wall Map  •  National Geographic MAP A colorful wall map of Scandinavia, including Iceland, at a scale of 1:2,770,000. Price includes additional charge for shipping via priority mail cardboard tube. (SCN28, $14.99)
Travelers' Tales, A Woman's Europe  •  Marybeth Bond  •  Mary Morris ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES This entertaining collection depicts Europe through the eyes of a diverse group of women writers, including Frances Mayes, Jan Morris and Mary Morris. These humorous and well-written true stories capture the misadventures, discoveries and slices of life that the continent (and travel!) has to offer. (EUR160, $17.95)
Vulcan's Fury, Man against the Volcano  •  Alwyn Scarth NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 299 PAGES In the contest of "Man against the Volcano," nature always wins. The author draws together eyewitness accounts, science, sociology and folklore in this page-turning account of 15 dramatic volcanic events from Vesuvius to Krakatau, Mt. St. Helens and Pinatubo. (GEO10, $48.00)
Vulcan's Fury, Man Against the Volcano  •  Alwyn Scarth NATURAL HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES The enthralling tales of 15 notorious volcanic eruptions spanning continents and centuries make for fascinating reading. Scarth, a British geologist, combines his storytelling talent and scientific knowledge to tell the histories of the world's most deadly blasts from Vesuvius to Pinatubo. (GEO21, $22.00)