Terry G. Lacy
Ring of Seasons, Iceland, Its Culture and History
A longtime resident of Reykjavik, Lacy weaves tales of family life, anecdote, lore and history into this illuminating personal portrait of Iceland.
Halldor Laxness
Independent People, An Epic
Rich in local color, this great mock-epic by the Icelandic Nobel Prize-winner features the indelible Bjartur of Summerhouses, a hard-headed, independent-minded sheep farmer.
Jeff Kanipe, Alexandra Witze
Island on Fire: The Extraordinary Story of a Forgotten Volcano That Changed the World
Two science writers discuss the political and natural ramifications of the 1783 eruption of Iceland’s largest volcano, Laki, which led to global death, famine and even revolution. Great for the geologically minded but accessible to all with an interest in volcanoes.
Insight Guides
Insight Guide Iceland
This guide emphasizes culture and history, with wonderful photographs, maps and essays from experts.
National Geographic Maps
Iceland Adventure Map
A detailed map at a scale of 1:465,000, printed on handy tear- and water-resistant paper.
Evan Sung (Photographer), Jody Eddy, Gunnar Gislason
North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland
Catering to a rising interest in Nordic cuisine, this cookbook celebrates Iceland’s food alongside its haunting landscapes, portrayed in starkly beautiful, full-color photos.
Karen Oslund
Iceland Imagined
This cultural and environmental history explores the geography, literature, language, culture, politics and symbolism of Iceland, Greenland, northern Norway and the Faroe Islands.
John Haywood
Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings
The history of the Vikings told through a series of innovative maps and excellent photographs. This book traces the routes of 9th-century Viking merchants and explorers throughout Europe and the New World.
Gunnar Karlsson
The History of Iceland
A history of Iceland from the Viking era through colon-ization, independence and the 20th century. Karlsson draws on the sagas and rich literature of Iceland in presenting this comprehensive history.
Yves Cohat
The Vikings, Lords of the Seas
An indispensable reference that fits in your pocket, this slim volume is packed with maps, archival photographs and illustrations.
William Fitzhugh (Editor), Elisabeth Ward (Editor)
Vikings, The North Atlantic Saga
An extensively illustrated volume of Viking culture, history and exploration that focuses especially on voyages to North America. Published in conjunction with a Smithsonian exhibit, it features essays and 400 color photographs.
Nancy Marie Brown
The Far Traveler, Voyages of a Viking Woman
Brown’s intriguing account of the life of the young Viking woman Gudrid sheds light on early Norse settlements in Iceland, Newfoundland and beyond. It’s an archaeological mystery, a history of ancient seamanship and a biography all rolled into one.
Lawrence Millman, Paul Theroux (Introduction)
Last Places, A Journey in the North
Millman explores the culture and history of the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland in this hilarious account of his travels in the wake of the ancient Vikings.
Sarah Moss
Names for the Sea, Strangers in Iceland
A stranger in a strange land, British novelist Sarah Moss captures the spirit of Iceland in this tale of a year in the island nation with her husband and two children.
Bill Holm
The Windows of Brimnes, An American in Iceland
In these provocative essays, Minnesotan Bill Holm writes about the fate of America from his fisherman’s cottage on the shore of a creek in northern Iceland.
Jon Krakauer (Photographer), David Roberts
Iceland, Land of the Sagas
Krakauer and colleague Roberts hike and climb around Iceland in this classic travel narrative, reissued as a paper-back and featuring Krakauer’s color photographs. The book interweaves the natural and cultural history of the island with the authors’ own adventures.
Arnaldur Indridason
Jar City
Indridason’s first moody police procedural translated into English finds Reykjavik detective Erlendur Sveinsson investigating the brutal murder of a lonely pensioner and the man’s connection to the deaths of a number of young women. Made into a darkly superb film.
Snorri Sturluson, Jesse Byock (Translator)
The Prose Edda
A new translation of one of the most influential and entertaining medieval Icelandic sagas, the source for much of what we know of Norse mythology.
Jane Smiley (Editor), Robert Kellog (Introduction)
The Sagas of Icelanders
Nine sagas and six tales composed between the years 1000 and 1500, including an account of Leif Eriksson’s voyage to North America, all newly translated. With an introduction by Jane Smiley.
E.C. Pielou
A Naturalist’s Guide to the Arctic
Our bestselling book on the Arctic, this guide covers the geography and climate, plants, birds and wildlife of the Circumpolar North.
Richard Fisher
Volcanoes, Crucibles of Change
A complete primer for the volcano lover, this heavily illustrated book covers types of volcanoes and eruptions, worldwide distribution and the physics of their formation.
Carl Christian Kinze
Marine Mammals of the North Atlantic
A guide to the marine mammals of the North Atlantic featuring 250 color illustrations.
Egill Bjarnason
How Iceland Changed the World
A breezy, beach-read of a history book, exploring the myriad ways that an island nation at the top of the world has exerted a profound effect on major global events for the past 800 years. The New York Times describes it as “a joyously peculiar book.”