Magnus Magnusson Books

Drawing on a great deal of modern scholarship that has redefined the nation's story, Magnusson vividly re-creates the long and fascinating story of Scotland, offering the most up-to-date and comprehensive history available today. 40 pages of photos.

As an unloved foster child on a farm in rural Iceland, Olaf Karason has only one consolation: the belief that one day he will be a great poet. The indifference and contempt of most of the people around him only reinforces his sense of destiny, for in Iceland poets are as likely to be scorned as they are to be revered. Over the ensuing years, Olaf comes to lead the paradigmatic poet's life of poverty, loneliness, ruinous love affairs, and sexual scandal. But he will never attain anything like greatness.As imagined by Nobel Prize winner Halldor Laxness in this magnificently humane novel, what might be cruel farce achieves pathos and genuine exaltation. For as Olaf's ambition drives him onward-and into the orbits of an unstable spiritualist, a shady entrepreneur, and several susceptible women-World Light demonstrates how the creative spirit can survive in even the most crushing of environments, and even the most unpromising human vessel.

20,000 profiles of distinguished people from every age and every walk of life. The coverage is international, and covers all aspects of human endeavour. The dictionary is revised and updated regularly; the previous edition was published in 1984.

Written around 1245 by an unknown author, the Laxdaela Saga is an extraordinary tale of conflicting kinships and passionate love, and one of the most compelling works of Icelandic literature. Covering 150 years in the lives of the inhabitants of the community of Laxriverdale, the saga focuses primarily upon the story of Gudrun Osvif's-daughter: a proud, beautiful, vain and desirable figure, who is forced into an unhappy marriage and destroys the only man she has truly loved – her husband's best friend. A moving tale of murder and sacrifice, romance and regret, the Laxdaela Saga is also a fascinating insight into an era of radical change – a time when the Age of Chivalry was at its fullest flower in continental Europe, and the Christian faith was making its impact felt upon the Viking world.

Echoes of the Ancient World SeriesContents:PrefaceThe land of Thule: pre-Viking ScandinaviaThe dragon ships: the great age of Viking expansionHammer and cross: the coming of the new religionThe great void: creation and doom in the Viking cosmologyOdin, the all-father: lord of the gallows and lord of the slainStorm and harvest: Thor, Frey, Freyja: gods of the earth and skyLoki and Baldur: the father of lies and the shining godChoosers of the slain: Valkyries and the spirits of the otherworldThe way to Hel: death and its after-lifeSacred stones: Norsemen at worshipThe heroic ethic: the legend of Sigurd and the code of the warrior.

In the most unlikely setting, during devastating winters and unimaginably harsh conditions, some of Europe's most celebrated literature was born. In 13th century Iceland, stories about the heroic Vikings that first settled the country were recorded. These stories, called Sagas (meaning 'story' in Icelandic), have always caused pride with the Icelandic nation and will forever be it's number one cultural heritage. The undisputed masterpiece among the Sagas is Njal's Saga, a spine-chilling story of love, honour, revenge, and patriotism, vividly describing the lives of a host of memorable characters, ranging from respected arbitrators and lawyers to deadly warriors and fighters. If you buy one item in Iceland this should be it. The Sagas inspired the works of J.R.R. Tolkein. The Sagas were written on vellum; a parchment made from calfskin. The material is extremely long-lasting and most of the original books are still in good condition. The oldest fully preserved version of Njal's Saga is from the early 14th century and is stored at the campus of The University of Iceland.

When the Americans make an offer to buy land in Iceland to build a NATO airbase after the Second World War, a storm of protest is provoked throughout the country. Narrated by a country girl from the north, the novel follows her experiences after she takes up employment as a maid in the house of her Member of Parliament.

They were undoubtedly pillagers, raiders and terrifying warriors, but they were also great pioneers, artists and traders - a dynamic people, whose skill and daring in their exploration of the world has left an indelible impression a thousand years on.

This book contains a collection of articles giving an account of past work on Scotland's ancient monuments by the Chairman of the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland.

Pictures and describes the historic sites, castles and country houses, garden monuments, coastal villages, lochs, and islands presently under the guardianship of the National Trust.

The natural history of Scotland from the creation of its foundation to today's usage of the land. Key sections deal with conservation, seas and waterways, cities and heritage protection.

Cultuurgeschiedenis van de Vikingen, met nadruk op hun religie.