Babette's Feast  •  Gabriel Axel CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2004 •  DVD This adaptation of a Karen Blixen story won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1998. In it, Babette -- the French woman who shares a house with two conservative and religious sisters in 19th century Jutland -- prepares a feast for her neighbors before heading home. The film captures the joys, rhythms and prejudices of life in rural Denmark. (DMK29, $14.95)
Borderliners  •  Peter Hoeg LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER Hoeg's thriller set in a Danish boarding school. (DMK37, $14.00)
Clara's Grand Tour, Travels With a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-century Europe  •  Glynis Ridley HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES The entertaining history of a most unusual eighteenth-century European celebrity. Clara the Indian rhinoceros was brought to Europe in 1741 by the Dutch sea captain Douwemout Van der Meer, and toured for seventeen years, to the delight of heads of state such as Louis XV and Frederick the Great. A marvelous and unique look at the introduction of Eastern wildlife into the Western world. (FRN536, $12.00)
The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales  •  Hans Christian Andersen LITERATURE •  1993 •  HARD COVER  • 804 PAGES How could we resist? It's hard to contemplate a visit to Copenhagen without revisiting these classic tales by its most famous citizen. This illustrated edition includes 159 greats, including "The Ugly Duckling" and, of course, "The Little Mermaid." (DMK01, $14.99)
Copenhagen Map  •  Borch Maps 2006 •  MAP A handy laminated street map of Copenhagen in full color at a scale of 1:11,000. (DMK14, $7.95)
Denmark Map  •  Freytag & Berndt MAP 1:400,000 scale map of Denmark which includes inset maps of the major cities on the reverse. (SCN15, $12.95)
Egil's Saga  •  Bernard Scudder  •  Svanhildur Oskarsdottir LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 254 PAGES This chronicle of war and rivaly between ruling clans, written in the 13th century, blends history and legend. It's a vivid portrait of the Viking world. The action is set in 10th-century southern Scandinavia, the Baltic, Iceland and the North Sea. Egil, a rune reader, a healer, a drunk, a poet, and a farmer, dominated Viking history from his first murder at the age of six because another boy won a ball game. This vivid saga embraces five generations beginning with Egil's grandfather and ending with his grandson. (VIK06, $15.00)
Europe in Our Time, A History, 1945-1992  •  Walter Laqueur HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 617 PAGES An update of the classic general history of Europe since World War II, this enormously readable book offers a great overview of the events that have shaped our modern world. (EUR14, $17.95)
Eyewitness Top Ten Copenhagen  •  DK Publishing GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES A compact, illustrated guide in the popular series, featuring favorite attractions in Copenhagen. (DMK38, $12.00)
Fairy Tales  •  Hans Christian Andersen LITERATURE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 496 PAGES (DMK31, $27.95)
Fairy Tales  •  Hans Christian Andersen  •  Tina Nunnally  •  Jackie Wullschlager LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 496 PAGES (DMK32, $16.00)
The Far Islands and Other Cold Places, Travel Essays of A Victorian Lady  •  Elizabeth Taylor TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 306 PAGES • COMING IN Here are the tales of a no-nonsense "Victorian lady," featuring her great love for remote islands with bad weather. She writes of the people, culture, traditions and natural history of Iceland, Norway, Scotland, and the Faroe Islands with grace and insight. (ARC32, $16.95)
Fodor's Denmark  •  Sar Sper GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A practical guide in the popular series, saturated with valuable information on accommodation, shopping, sights, and dining. (DMK40, $18.95)
Gods and Myths of Northern Europe  •  Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson RELIGION •  1990 •  PAPER  • 252 PAGES An classic survey of the Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythologies, gods and goddesses of pre-Christian Europe by a leading scholar of Norse and Anglo-Saxon religion and archaeology. (SCN23, $15.00)
The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral  •  Robert A. Scott ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 307 PAGES Scott, whose interest in the history of cathedrals began when he first saw the magnificent Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salisbury, England, takes his reader on a historical, architectural and sociological tour of the magnificent spires and stained-glass windows that dot the landscape of Europe. It's an accessible, personable overview. (EUR190, $17.95)
Here Is Where We Meet  •  John Berger LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES This novel weaves a portrait of several European countries through encounters with the dead, from the narrator's mother, whom he discovers on a park bench in Lisbon, to a childhood friend wandering a market in Krakow. "The dead don't stay where they are buried," the protagonist's mother tells him, and this becomes the mantra for this most unusual journey through Europe's history and people. (EUR189, $14.00)
A History of the Vikings  •  Gwyn Jones HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 504 PAGES A classic portrait of the Viking realms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, their civilization and culture, first published in 1968. With 15 maps, 58 line drawings and 32 black-and-white photographs. Jones integrates history and archaeology nicely in this well-told tale. Revised in 1984. (VIK20, $18.95)
King Harald's Saga  •  Magnus Magnusson  •  Paulsson Herman  •  Snorri Sturlusson  •  Hermann Palsson LITERATURE •  1976 •  PAPER  • 178 PAGES Written in the 13th century, this is a classic biography of the last Viking warrior King Harald and an account of the 1066 conflict between Norway and England. (NOR19, $12.00)
Lonely Planet Copenhagen Encounter  •  Lonely Planet Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER With a section of not-to-missed highlights and a calendar of annual events, this lively pocket guide organized by neighborhood includes suggested side trips, along what to see and where to shop, eat, drink and play. With a double-sided pullout map. (DMK35, $11.99)
Lonely Planet Denmark  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 364 PAGES A comprehensive, practical guide in the hallmark Lonely Planet style combining a good overview of the history and culture of Denmark with extensive travel information. (DMK12, $21.99)
Lonely Planet Scandinavian Europe  •  Glenda Bendure  •  Ned Friary GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 508 PAGES An excellent practical guide to Scandinavian countries, as well as St. Petersburg and Tallinn, featuring a good overview of culture, history and nature, and plenty of information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. (SCN01, $24.99)
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)
Michelin Green Guide Scandinavia and Finland  •  Michelin Travel Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 526 PAGES A survey of the cities, villages and sites of Scandinavia in the classic Michelin style, featuring brief descriptions of all the major attractions, and with excellent full-color city maps. Organized alphabetically for easy reference, (SCN10, $21.95)
Neither Here Nor There, Travels in Europe  •  Bill Bryson TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 254 PAGES An American expatriate in London, Bryson deploys his cranky humor in this romp through European capitals. While he doesn't do much to displace national stereotypes, this book is nonetheless great fun to read and insightful on the quirks of character. (EUR25, $14.95)
Northern Europe Map  •  Freytag & Berndt MAP A colorful shaded relief map of Scandinavia and the Baltic States at a scale of 1:2,000,000. It shows the entire Baltic Sea region. (EUR19, $11.95)
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)
Peer Gynt  •  Henrik Ibsen LITERATURE •  1990 •  PAPER  • 101 PAGES The last of Ibsen's verse plays, based on the Norwegian folk hero. (NOR13, $12.95)
The Poetic Edda  •  Carolyne Larrington LITERATURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES The Norse-Icelandic poems of mythological deities are translated into modern English. Includes an index to Pagan names. Redisovered in the 17th century, this is the source for much of what we know of pre-christian belief systems in Northern Europe. (SCN25, $14.95)
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)
Rough Guide Copenhagen  •  Lone Mouritsen  •  Andrew Spooner GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES A pocket guide to Copenhagen. Includes history, culture and visitor attractions. With full color maps. Organized geographically, this handy guide includes a separate section with recommended hotels, shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. (DMK15, $16.99)
The Sagas of Icelanders  •  Jane Smiley  •  Robert Kellog EXPLORATION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 544 PAGES Nine sagas and six tales collected in a single volume, all newly translated for this edition marking the 1,000th anniversary of Leif Eriksson's voyage to North America, and including an introduction by Jane Smiley (whose books include the wonderful novel of Norse settlements "The Greenlanders"). Composed between 1000 and 1500, these rousing tales are told with surprising directness and simplicity. Any modern explorer setting off across the North Atlantic should consider taking along this big book. (ICL13, $22.00)
Scandinavia Map  •  HEMA Maps MAP A double-sided map of northern and southern Scandinavia at a scale of 1:800,000. (SCN16, $12.95)
Seven Viking Romances  •  Hermann Palssom  •  Paul Edwards ANTHOLOGY •  1985 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES The medieval Icelandic imagination incorporated warriors' raids and local myths, legends, and heroic tales adapted over the centuries from Homer to French romance. This book is an entertaining anthology of Viking kings, adventurers and gods. (VIK04, $15.00)
Southern Scandinavia Map  •  Kummerly & Frey Maps MAP A colorful road map of Southern Scandinavia at a scale of 1:800,000. (SCN07, $12.95)
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)
Vikings, The North Atlantic Saga  •  William Fitzhugh  •  Elisabeth Ward HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES Published in conjunction with a Smithsonian exhibit, this excellent book explores the culture and history of the Vikings, and especially their well documented voyages to North America. Featuring 400 color photographs, the book also includes lively essays on Viking art, religion, daily life and colonies. It's especially good on Viking expansion and settlements in North America. (VIK11, $34.95)
Vinland Sagas, Norse Discovery of America  •  Magnus Magnusson EXPLORATION •  1965 •  PAPER  • 124 PAGES These Icelandic sagas, as edited by the great Magnus Magnusson, tell the compelling story of the Norse discovery of America five centuries before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. (VIK03, $13.00)
Wallpaper City Guide Copenhagen  •  Wallpaper Magazine GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER A stylish, thin (it fits in your back pocket) city guide compiled by the design magazine Wallpaper's local reporters. Well-organized, with chapter tabs, many photographs and of-the-moment recommendations. While you wouldn't want to make this hipsters guide your only source of information (otherwise you'd begin to think all cities looked the same), it's an outstanding reference for the design-savvy traveler to hotels, restaurants, shops, architecture and local escapes. (DMK33, $8.95)