Stuck at home during the pandemic with no time frame for when travel will be okay, I have taken up studying. Everything from languages to history to international business and more. That means reading many books! I will be posting short reviews as I go along.
The first book I grabbed for reading on Kindle is History of Norway by John A. Yilek.
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Yilek covers, in a relatively short and fast paced read, the history of Norway from pre-Viking days up to the present. It is a fascinating look at a people who have endured incredible hardships, been ruled by other nations for hundreds of years (notably Denmark and Sweden), and badly treated by the Nazis in World War II.
Reading European history, one is taken back by the never-ending violence and land grabs by various entities. The concept of a peaceful existence is rare and often fleeting – only to be followed by another bloody invasion. And another. Life was hard and then you died.
Yilek’s book is 270 pages but he writes with a style that keeps you glued to the pages – you really do not want to put it aside for long because “What happens next?”
I greatly enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone else interested in Scandinavian history.