InTheStoryofScandinavia,politicalscholarSteinRingenchroniclesmorethan1,200yearsofdrama,economicriseandfall,crises,kingsandqueens,war,peace,languageandculture.Scandinavianhistoryhasbeenoneofdramaticdiscontinuitiesofcollapseandrestarts,fromtheVikingAgetotheAgeofPerpetualWartothemodernagetoday.Forathousandyears,theScandinaviancountrieswerekingdomsofrepressionwheremonarchsplayedatthegameofbeingEuropeanpowers,attheexpenseoftheirownpopulations.Thebrandwenowknowas“Scandinavia“isarecentinvention.Duringmostofitshistory,DenmarkandSweden,andtosomedegreeNorway,werebloodyenemies.Thesesentimentsofenmityhavenotbeenfullysettled.Underthesurfaceofcollaborationremainundercurrentsofhatred,envy,contemptandpity.WhatdoesitmeantodaytobeScandinavian?Fortheauthor,whoseidentityisScandinavianbuthislifeEuropean,thismasterlyhistoryisapersonalexplorationaswellasanarrativeofcompellingscope.
