Viking Age Iceland (Penguin History) |
Buy Viking Age Iceland (Penguin History) here, one of 750 Iceland History books offered for sale at discount prices here in the history books section at R bookshop. There are currently 88153 history books in our history books section, and over 1,000,000 books listed in our book store. We greatly appreciate your patronage at R bookshop and look forward to offering you a large selection of great books at discount prices now and in the future. Thank you for shopping at R Bookshop!
|
You Are Here: Home > History Books > Iceland History > Item 125
|
Viking Age Iceland (Penguin History)
|
by Jesse L. Byock
Sales Rank: 98521
|
List Price: $16.00
$10.88
At Amazon
on 9-16-2008.
|
|
|
|
Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 432 pages
Published by: Penguin Non-Classics August 28, 2001
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0140291156
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0140291155
Book Dimensions:
7.7 x 4.8 x 1 inches
Weighs: 9.6 ounces
Reader Reviews
At a recent academic symposium about Viking culture, one member of the audience asked, "Why didn't the Icelanders protect their settlements in Greenland with police or the military?" From his point of view, it was a reasonable question -- except that he had missed the point completely about why Iceland, especially during its golden age from AD 870 through 1260, was a truly unique society. Professor Byock in his excellent VIKING AGE ICELAND zeroes in on this period and answers the question why this society was like no other. Where mainland European societies were all ruled either by large or petty despots or by the Church, Iceland was governed more or less by the consent of the governed. There was some slavery, and people on the edges of society fared no better (or worse) than anywhere else -- but your average Icelandic freeman and even women had some protection from the rich and powerful. Until its submission to Norway in 1260, Iceland was a country without an executive, without an army, without a navy. Instead, grievances were addressed by seeking powerful allies whose self-interest in the issue could result in some gain for them. If a neighbor or even a chieftain encroached on your property, you could bribe another chieftain to become involved on your side. You may lose some property, but keep the most part intact for your heirs. (On the continent, your life AND property would both be forfeit.) Chieftains had no clearly defined territory, but only adherents -- and adherents could at any time align with competing chieftains at any time. Any disputes that showed signs of getting out of hand were ultimately resolved at the althing, an annual meeting of the chieftains and their adherents at Thingvellir in the southwest of Iceland. Byock takes the sagas as his principal source and carefully shows how conflicts were resolved in such a way that life and property were protected. That is not to say that bloody, long-lasting feuds did not erupt -- but the damage was limited by the intercession of chieftains so that the feud would not divide society at large. As Njal Thorgeirsson says in NJALS SAGA: "With laws must our land be built, or with lawlessness laid waste." Some of the features of Icelandic society are difficult for us hieratic Europeans and Americans to comprehend. Byock provides detailed and lavishly illustrated examples to make his points clearly and convincingly. Indeed, in few historical works that I have ever seen has there been such superb illustrative maps and charts. Additional support is provided by comprehensive notes, bibliography, appendices, and index. This is at the same time a scholarly and an eminently readable work -- and by far the best study of Icelandic society to date.
Comment | |
(Report this)
Back To Top
|
Viking Age Iceland (Penguin History)
Available from Amazon
Price: $10.88
Updated on 9-16-2008.
|
NOTICE: All prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
| We offer Viking Age Iceland (Penguin History) and other related Iceland History Books here at Rbookshop.com. To view more books about Iceland History please use the previous and next buttons near the top of this page.
|
|
Search for books at
