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Viking Age Iceland (Penguin History)
 
 

Viking Age Iceland (Penguin History) (Paperback)

by Jesse L Byock (Author) "Njal's Saga begins with a famous vignette that highlights issues explored in this book ..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
RRP: £12.99
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Viking Age Iceland (Penguin History) + The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings (Oxford Illustrated Histories) + The Vikings
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Product details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin (22 Feb 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140291156
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140291155
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.2 x 2.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 114,425 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #14 in  Books > History > Countries & Regions > Arctic, Antarctic & Other Lands
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Product Description

Product Description
Medieval Iceland was unique amongst Western Europe, with no foreign policy, no defence forces, no king, no lords, no peasants and few battles. It should have been a utopia yet its literature is dominated by brutality and killing. The reasons for this, argues Jesse Byock, lie in the underlying structures and cultural codes of the islands' social order. 'Viking Age Iceland' is an engaging, multi-disciplinary work bringing together findings in anthropology and ethnography interwoven with historical fact and masterful insights into the popular Icelandic sagas, this is a brilliant reconstruction of the inner workings of a unique and intriguing society.

About the Author
Jesse Byock is Director of Norse Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Educated at Harvard, the Sorbonne, Georgetown University Law School, the Universities of Iceland and Lund, he is also a member of UCLA's archaeology, folklore and Indo-European faculties. His books include 'Feud in the Icelandic Saga'; 'Medieval Iceland Society, Sagas and Power', a translation of 'The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer'

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Njal's Saga begins with a famous vignette that highlights issues explored in this book. Read the first page
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A book for both the general reader and the specialist, 16 May 2001
By A Customer
I could have done with this book when I began to study Old Icelandic as part of a Master's degree in the history of the English language. This is a splendid companion for anyone who wants to know the minutiae of every day life in the Icelandic commonwealth or free state from 10-13 century. It tells you many things about the society, including the construction of latrines and longhouses and there is possibly more than any sane person would want to know about turf construction. A particularly fine feature of the book is the large number of maps illustrating all kinds of things, including the locations of the 48 so-called 'family sagas'. The 34 page bibliography is excellent and includes many items in Icelandic. IMHO this book is essential reading for those beginning Old Icelandic studies and the general reader whose imagination has been fired by reading the sagas in translation.
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