WILDERNESS TRAVEL

Iceland

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Order an essential package, and we'll ship any additional items for free. We offer a mix of guidebooks, maps, field guides, novels and books on art, architecture, history, nature and culture.

Essential Reading

Item EXICL09. Buy these 4 items as a set for $72 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
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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, $16.00)

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. (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)

A History of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland

A History of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland


by T.K Derry

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 447 PAGES

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. (SCN03, $25.00)

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 also features a useful chronology and excerpts from the Viking Sagas. Part of the "Discoveries" series. (VIK01, $15.95)

Vikings, The North Atlantic Saga

Vikings, The North Atlantic Saga


by William Fitzhugh | Elisabeth Ward

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 432 PAGES

An extensively illustrated volume of Viking culture, history and exploration that focuses especially on voyages to North America. Published in conjunction with a Smithsonian exhibit, it features essays and 400 color photographs. (VIK11, $34.95)

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)

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)

The Sagas of Icelanders

The Sagas of Icelanders


by Jane Smiley | Robert Kellog

  • EXPLORATION
  • 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)

Arctic Chill

Arctic Chill


by Arnaldur Indridason

  • MYSTERY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

Another chilling police procedural set in contemporary Iceland, the fifth in the series. (ICL46, $15.00)

Hrafnkel's Saga and Other Icelandic Stories

Hrafnkel's Saga and Other Icelandic Stories


by 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 the 12th century, these tales vividly recreate the society of medieval Iceland. (ICL31, $14.00)

Hypothermia, A Thriller

Hypothermia, A Thriller


by Arnaldur Indridason

  • MYSTERY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

In this sixth haunting book in the series launched with the Gold Dagger-winning Jar City (ICL27) Reykjavik Inspector Erlendur faces the heart-shattering truth of his own past. (ICL51, $15.00)

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)

Silence of the Grave

Silence of the Grave


by Arnaldur Indridason

  • MYSTERY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Reykjavik police inspector Erlendur Sveinsson uncovers an old skeleton and unsavory secrets in Indridason's excellent second crime novel translated into English. Winner of the 2005 Gold Dagger award. (ICL36, $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, $15.00)

The Prose Edda


by 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, $17.65)

The Saga of the People of Laxardal and Bolli Bollason's Tale

The Saga of the People of Laxardal and Bolli Bollason's Tale


by Keneva Kunz

  • LITERATURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

This beloved Icelandic saga from the 13th century, possibly written by a woman, recounts years of betrayal, battle and romance: the stories of headstrong heroines in a changing world. In a new translation. (VIK31, $16.00)

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)

Voices

Voices


by Arnaldur Indridason

  • MYSTERY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

Inspector Erlendur returns in this third thriller set in Reykjavik, where the Christmas rush is at its peak and a man dressed as Santa has been brutally stabbed in a local hotel. (ICL53, $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)

Arctic Dreams

Arctic Dreams


by Barry Lopez

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 417 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

A dazzling meditation on the Arctic, breathtaking in scope. Lopez draws on his travels throughout the North, including Baffin Island, the Chukchi and Bering seas, Alaska, the Yukon and Greenland, interweaving natural history, accounts of early exploration, anecdote and lore into an indelible portrait of place. (ARC11, $16.00)

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

A bestseller in the classic McPhee tradition, this book explores our generally feeble attempts to combat all-powerful nature, including efforts by Icelanders to control the flow of a volcano. (NAT01, $16.00)

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)

Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-West Europe

Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-West Europe


by Chris Kightley

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 299 PAGES

A compact field-friendly guide to the birds found in the British Isles and the Faroes, Scandinavia and Northwest Europe. (EUR50, $27.00)

The Arctic, A Guide to Coastal Wildlife

The Arctic, A Guide to Coastal Wildlife


by Tony Soper

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

This compact guide to coastal marine mammals and seabirds of the circumpolar north features handsome watercolor illustrations and lively text. (ARC85, $21.95)

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