A History of Norway

Embark on a sweeping journey through the history of a nation shaped by sea and stone. This comprehensive account traces the story of Norway from its very beginning, when the first hunters followed retreating glaciers into a land of breathtaking but harsh beauty. It delves into the dramatic Viking Age, where dragon-prowed longships burst forth from the fjords to raid, trade, and explore their way across the known world, leaving their mark from the British Isles to the shores of North America. The narrative then follows the painstaking process of forging a unified kingdom, the arrival of Christianity, and the flourishing of a powerful medieval realm that stretched across the North Atlantic.After a devastating blow from the Black Death, the book chronicles Norway's long period as a junior partner in unions with its more powerful Scandinavian neighbors, Denmark and Sweden. This era of "national slumber" gives way to a powerful nineteenth-century reawakening, fueled by the currents of national romanticism. Witness the determined struggle to rediscover a unique Norwegian identity through art, literature, and language, a cultural renaissance that culminated in the peaceful dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905 and the restoration of full, modern independence.Explore the immense challenges of the twentieth century, as Norway navigated two world wars and the precarious tightrope of neutrality. The narrative provides a gripping account of the traumatic German invasion and occupation in World War II, a defining experience that forged a new national consciousness and shattered the country’s long-standing policy of isolationism. In the aftermath, follow the nation's reconstruction, its firm commitment to the West as a founding member of NATO, and the deliberate construction of one of the world's most comprehensive and egalitarian welfare states.Discover the moment that irrevocably altered the nation's destiny: the discovery of vast oil and gas reserves in the North Sea in 1969. This history details the dramatic economic transformation that catapulted a once-modest nation into the ranks of the world’s wealthiest. It examines the uniquely Norwegian model of managing this immense wealth, channeling vast revenues into a sovereign wealth fund designed to benefit future generations. From Viking raiders to international peacekeepers, and from a poor, peripheral nation to a global economic powerhouse, this is the definitive story of the long, arduous, and remarkable journey along the "northern way." Read more