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Catalog

FATHER'S DAY

City of Fortune, How Venice Ruled the Seas

Roger Crowley

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PROVENCE & THE COTE D'AZUR

A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France

Georgeanne Brennan

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OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

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PENGUIN CLASSICS

The Log from the Sea of Cortez

John Steinbeck

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NORTH ATLANTIC

Iceland

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Books for

With an Essential Reading Package featuring Independent People, a Longitude favorite.

Essential Reading

Item EXICL09. Buy these 4 items as a set for $72 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Independent People, An Epic

Independent People, An Epic

by Halldor Laxness

  • LITERATURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 480 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

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. (ICL01, $16.95)

Ring of Seasons, Iceland, Its Culture and History

Ring of Seasons, Iceland, Its Culture and History

by Terry G. Lacy

  • HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 332 PAGES

A longtime resident of Reykjavik, Lacy weaves tales of family life, anecdote, lore and history into this illuminating personal portrait of Iceland. (ICL03, $25.95)

Insight Guide Iceland

Insight Guide Iceland

by Insight Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 360 PAGES

With wonderful photographs, maps and essays. (ICL04, $22.99)

Iceland Adventure Map

Iceland Adventure Map

by National Geographic Society

  • 2011
  • MAP

A detailed, double-sided traveler's map at a scale of 1:465,000 by National Geographic. (ICL05, $11.95)

 
Bradt Guide Iceland

Bradt Guide Iceland


by Andrew Evans

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 432 PAGES

A detailed, personable guide in the venerable British series with a focus on natural treasures, including glaciers, lava flows and rugged coastlines. (ICL42, $25.99)

Lonely Planet Iceland

Lonely Planet Iceland


by Deanna Swaney

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 360 PAGES

This concise guide to Iceland includes short essays on history, culture and attractions and plenty of practical travel information. (ICL06, $23.99)

Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings

Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings


by John Haywood

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

The history of the Vikings told through a series of innovative maps and excellent photographs. This book traces the route of the 9th-century Viking merchants and explorers throughout Europe and on to the New World. (VIK02, $20.00)

The History of Iceland

The History of Iceland


by Gunnar Karlsson

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 418 PAGES

A history of Iceland from the Viking era through colonization, independence and the 20th century. Karlsson draws on the sagas and rich literature of Iceland in presenting this comprehensive history. (ICL17, $25.50)

The Vikings, Lords of the Seas

The Vikings, Lords of the Seas


by Yves Cohat

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 175 PAGES

An indispensable reference that fits in your pocket, this slim volume is packed with maps, archival photographs and illustrations. It tells of the Norse homeland, discoveries and settlements, and features a useful chronology and excerpts from the Viking Sagas. Part of the "Discoveries" series. (VIK01, $15.95)

The Far Traveler, Voyages of a Viking Woman

The Far Traveler, Voyages of a Viking Woman


by Nancy Marie Brown

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

Brown's intriguing account of the life of the young Viking woman Gudrid sheds light on early Norse settlements in Iceland, Newfoundland and beyond. It's an archaeological mystery, a history of ancient seamanship and a biography all rolled into one. (VIK26, $15.00)

Frost on My Moustache, The Arctic Exploits of a Lord and a Loafer

Frost on My Moustache, The Arctic Exploits of a Lord and a Loafer


by Tim Moore

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 280 PAGES

In this inspired folly, a British comic heads to Iceland, Spitsbergen and other northern locales in pursuit of a fictitious Arctic hero. (ARC74, $16.99)

Iceland, Land of the Sagas

Iceland, Land of the Sagas


by Jon Krakauer | David Roberts

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES

Krakauer and colleague David Roberts hike and climb around Iceland in this classic travel narrative, reissued as a paperback and featuring Krakauer's color photographs. The book interweaves the natural and cultural history of the island with the authors' own adventures. (ICL07, $24.00)

Last Places, A Journey in the North

Last Places, A Journey in the North


by Lawrence Millman | Paul Theroux

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 242 PAGES

Millman explores the culture and history of the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland in this often-hilarious account of his travels in the wake of the ancient Vikings. (ARC54, $15.95)

Letters from Iceland

Letters from Iceland


by W.H. Auden

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Written with fellow poet Louis MacNiece, this quirky, under-appreciated masterpiece captures the spirit of Iceland, its people and landscapes. (ICL49, $24.95)

Jar City

Jar City


by Arnaldur Indridason

  • MYSTERY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Indridason's first moody police procedural finds Reykjavik detective Erlendur Sveinsson investigating the brutal murder of a lonely pensioner, and the man's connection to the deaths of a number of young women. The series continues with Silence of the Grave (ICL36), Voices (ICL53), The Draining Lake (ICL52) and more. (ICL27, $15.00)

The Fish Can Sing


by Halldor Laxness | Magnus Magnusson

  • LITERATURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A quirky, moving coming-of-age tale set in Reykjavik at the turn of the last century, featuring an unforgettable cast of Icelandic characters. Laxness, who also wrote Independent People (ICL01), won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955. (ICL14, $15.95)

The Sagas of Icelanders

The Sagas of Icelanders


by Jane Smiley | Robert Kellog

  • LITERATURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 544 PAGES

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. With an introduction by Jane Smiley. (ICL13, $25.00)

The Tricking of Freya

The Tricking of Freya


by Christina Sunley

  • LITERATURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

Skipping from suburban Connecticut to the tiny Canadian-Icelandic fishing village of Gimli to Manhattan and finally Iceland, this affecting debut follows the fate of young Freya Morris and her troubled family history over 20 years. (ICL47, $15.00)

Under the Glacier

Under the Glacier


by Halldor Laxness | Magnus Magnusson

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Laxness brings the full range of his wit, humor, humanity and imagination to this strange, rather sleight, and amusing book, in which a Church of Iceland envoy travels inland to investigate the strange goings-on in a remote parish. (ICL24, $15.00)

A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic

A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic


by E.C. Pielou

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 327 PAGES

Our best-selling book on the Arctic, this guide covers the geography and climate, plants, birds and wildlife of the circumpolar north. (ARC03, $22.00)

Auroras, Fire in the Sky

Auroras, Fire in the Sky


by Dan Bortolotti

  • SCIENCE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

These 80 color photos by Yuichi Takasaka celebrate the beauty, history, folklore and science of the Northern Lights. (ARC304, $29.95)

Iceland

Iceland


by Einar Mar Jonsson | Guillaume Cannat | Patrick Desgraupes

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2005
  • HARD COVER
  • 180 PAGES

The French landscape photographer Desgraupes captures the natural beauty of Iceland in 175 color-saturated photographs. (ICL38, $45.00)

The Control of Nature

The Control of Nature


by John McPhee

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

In the classic McPhee tradition, these sparkling essays explore our generally feeble attempts to combat all-powerful nature, including valient efforts by Icelanders to control the flow of a volcano across the harbor at Heimaey in the Westman Islands. (NAT01, $16.00)

The Northern Lights, The True Story of the Man Who Unlocked the Secrets of the Aurora Borealis

The Northern Lights, The True Story of the Man Who Unlocked the Secrets of the Aurora Borealis


by Lucy Jago

  • SCIENCE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

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. (ARC104, $16.95)

Volcanoes, Crucibles of Change

Volcanoes, Crucibles of Change


by Richard Fisher

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 344 PAGES

A complete primer for the volcano lover, this heavily illustrated book covers types of volcanoes and eruptions, worldwide distribution and the physics of their formation. (GEO02, $29.95)

Volcanoes, Fire From the Earth

Volcanoes, Fire From the Earth


by Maurice Krafft

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 175 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

By the great French volcanologist (who died on the job on Mount Unzen in Japan in 1992), this pocket guide features hundreds of full-color paintings, traces the study of volcanoes from early myth and legend to modern science. (GEO06, $15.95)

Birds of Europe

Birds of Europe


by Lars Svensson

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Featuring 3,500 glorious paintings by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom, the second revised edition of this exquisite guide has been brought up to date with revised text and maps. (FG47, $29.95)

Marine Mammals of the North Atlantic

Marine Mammals of the North Atlantic


by Carl Christian Kinze

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

A guide to the marine mammals of the North Atlantic featuring 250 color illustrations. (FG60, $26.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.