Scandinavia since 1500: Second Edition

The definitive history of Scandinavia over the past five centuries, updated to include recent geopolitical developments and events. Byron J. Nordstrom explores how economic, social, and cultural ideas and practices have come to Scandinavia from abroad, modified and recast in a unique Nordic character. The book offers a comprehensive yet nuanced portrait of the region's political, diplomatic, social, economic, and cultural complexity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 10 July 2023
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Scandinavia, a region comprising Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands, is characterized by a shared culture, language, and geography, as well as a rich history that is vividly depicted in this landmark work. In an expanded and updated edition, this authoritative chronicle of five centuries of Scandinavian history incorporates the geopolitical developments and significant events that have shaped the Nordic world in recent decades.

Scandinavia since 1500 situates the region's political history within the traditional European chronology, dividing the long "modern" period into the Renaissance, early modern, modern, and contemporary eras. Byron J. Nordstrom explores how economic, social, and cultural ideas and practices have traveled to Scandinavia from abroad, only to be modified and recast in a distinctively Nordic manner. He examines long-unquestioned national mythologies, historical blind spots, and erasures, ranging from canonical figures such as Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and Christian IV of Denmark to the constitutions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, resistance movements during World War II, and the Scandinavian welfare states, literary culture, and modern design.

In addition to its historical coverage, Scandinavia since 1500 also delves into the nature and realities of the increasingly postindustrial economies of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This includes environmental concerns, integration with Europe, globalization, and immigration. The book offers a comprehensive yet nuanced portrait of this unique region, encompassing its political, diplomatic, social, and economic aspects.

Byron J. Nordstrom's work is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about Scandinavia's past and present. It provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the region's history, culture, and political developments, making it an essential read for students, scholars, and anyone with an interest in the Nordic region.

Weight: 610g
Dimension: 141 x 215 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517909314
Edition number: 2