How Iceland Changed the World takes readers on a tour of history, showing them how Iceland played a pivotal role in events as diverse as the French Revolution and the Moon Landing. It is an in-depth, informative, and fascinating chronicle of Iceland’s mostly unknown contributions to the world. “Again and again, one humble nation has found itself at the frontline of historic
Amazon
Summer is on the horizon, and there s no better companion for a trip to the beach or a lazy day off than a good book. To get you ready for the (hopefully) relaxed months ahead, we re sharing our recommendations for books to add to your reading pile. Whether you’re a fan of true crime, sci-fi, comic books, or non-fiction, we ve got a book for you.
1.
Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World s Largest Owl // Jonathan C. Slaght; $18
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux/Amazon
Take a break from the summer heat and transport your mind to Russia’s Far East, where the endangered Blakiston’s fish owl hides within the snowy forests. You don’t need to be a birder to enjoy this book: Jonathan C. Slaght’s account of his research on these elusive animals is a captivating introduction to not only the owls, but also to the people who call this fascinating region of the world home.
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Egill Bjarnason has been Hakai Magazine
’s go-to writer on all things Iceland since 2017. Bjarnason, an Icelander, has introduced readers to the small island nation’s fixation on swimming lessons for all, its connection to the first moon landing, and its role in seasickness research. The following excerpt, “That Time Hitler’s Girlfriend Visited Iceland and the British Invaded,” is from Bjarnason’s first book, How Iceland Changed the World.
An Island Nation With Mighty Clout
Hikers in Iceland. Egill Bjarnason’s “How Iceland Changed the World,” relates the nation’s very idiosyncratic history.Credit.Photograph by Bara Kristinsdottir for The New York Times
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By Michael Pye
The Big History of a Small Island
By Egill Bjarnason
It wasn’t easy getting to Iceland in the days before Björk, before Skyr, when no cheap trans-Atlantic flight stopped there. You had to avoid the abyss at the end of the world, dodge the islands that surged suddenly out of the water and then make landfall at mountains of red-hot rock that spat fire into the heavens. Saints got there in holy dreams but nobody dared settle until A.D. 874.