Magnus MagnussonRezensionen

Populärt skriven bok om vikingarnas liv, kultur och resor. Förf. har byggt sin beskrivning dels på de gamla isländska sagorna, dels på de senaste (1980) arkeologiska fynden

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The gods and myths of the Vikings illustrated with striking color photographs of their art and land. Odin was the god of the aristocrats; Thor was the god of the people. Frey was the god of fertility. Together they were the original Scandinavian trinity.

“The Valkyries were originally demons of carnage who in later myths became the warrior handmaidens of Odin, selecting champions for Valhöll and tending to their needs there.” -- caption on page 89

added 8/21/20 CM

I love dictionaries and history and biographies...this combines all three.

I read this book in preparation for a trip to Scotland. I am glad I did. For the first time, I believe I have a comprehensive grasp of the eternal conflict between Scotland and England, the importance of succession on the throne and influence of reformation. This is a very readable book, perhaps not in one sitting, but over time.

Each chapter in this somewhat quirky history is preceded by a summary of the events to be discussed as they were described by Walter Scott (1771- 1832) in Tales of a Grandfather. As explained by the Walter Scott Digital Archive of Edinburgh University Library:

"While putting the finishing touches to his Life of Napoleon in May 1827, Scott had the idea of writing a History of Scotland addressed to his six-year-old grandchild . . . The project was partly inspired by the success of John Wilson Croker's Stories Selected from the History as England (1822), but Scott felt that Croker underestimated the intelligence of his juvenile audience. Children, Scott believed, disliked books 'written down' to their level, preferring a challenge to their understanding and curiosity. He hoped to cater, moreover, for both a juvenile and a popular audience and thus to find a way 'between what a child can comprehend and what shall not yet be absolutely uninteresting to the grown reader' (Journal, July 8, 1827)."

It’s also a history that includes extensive detail only up until the Battle of Culloden. With the end of the Jacobite Movement, there is only one more chapter covering the period after 1746, which is mostly about the personal history of Sir Walter Scott. A short Epilogue takes us to the 1990s. But Magnusson seemed to be “finished” even before the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie; clearly the author lost heart for the story of Scotland with the Act of Union in 1707 and “the end of an auld sang.”

Thus, most of the book is focused on warriors and royalty of old. Those looking for information on the cultural advances that followed Culloden and about the great Scottish Enlightenment should look elsewhere; there is practically nothing on any of that in this book. On the other hand, if you want to know how punitive the English were toward the Scots throughout the early history of the two countries, this is a great place to begin. You also get a large dose of how rough the austere Protestant fundamentalists were on their own people in Scotland. In fact, this is not a book at all about religious toleration or Christian mercy; religious realism, one might say, is more like it.

The author served at one time as Chair of the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland, and so peppers his history with tidbits about where to find markers today commemorating some of the historical events he describes. Additionally, there is a chronology at the end of the book as well as a list of Kings and Queens of Scotland.

Evaluation: This is an entertaining book, often reading more like a television history broadcast than a standard history, with elements of a travelogue. The addition of passages from Tales of a Grandfather is very illuminating. It is rather heavy on battles though, and I wish the author had added more information on what happened after Culloden. On the other hand, it already weighs in at 700 pages.

A number of maps and pictures are included.½

For someone like me who had little knowledge of the Vikings (except for common misconceptions) before reading this book, this was a fascinating and informative read. Magnus Magnusson manages to take readers back to the Viking Age and discusses the Viking culture through archeological finds, sagas about famous Vikings, and other aides. I really liked that this book was broken up into chapters that discussed the different areas in which the Vikings were prevalent. It made it easier to read about the countries and their Viking history one at a time as opposed to altogether at once. This book provided me not only with knowledge about the Vikings but also a good list of sagas to read (the book doesn't actually make a list of sagas but I noted all the sagas Magnusson mentioned and plan on reading some if not most of them). If you are curious about Vikings and want to read about the Viking Age and culture than I would definitely recommend this book to you.

Magnusson often adds "tour guide book" type of information, especially in the footnotes. (I like this.) As others have noted, the book focuses on the political history of Scotland, especially upon the royal succession. It was my first book on Scottish history, and I'd recommend it to anyone who, like me, doesn't know much about Scotland's history. Now I'm ready for a broader history, with more than just politics.

A very interesting and enjoyable telling of Iceland's history through the medium of the great Icelandic Sagas. While this approach means some aspects of Iceland's history are downplayed - for instance, I'd love to have read more about how volcanic eruptions and climatic change have affected Iceland since its settlement - I still found this book fascinating - and as a bonus, Icelandic place names now make a whole lot more sense to me.½

(1991 – I would have bought this when I was in the middle of my degree course, as my subsidiary subject (worth 20% of my whole degree!) was in Old Icelandic)

This was a real treat to read. I love Iceland, I loved some aspects of studying Old Icelandic and did get a love of the sagas from doing so even if the endless translation was a little wearing. I like reading books about Iceland (and have done during other Months of Re-Reading) and I do hope to go there one day.

This book does nothing to prevent that happening. It’s sensible, literary, literate, well-written and enjoyable, with interesting asides and a style that is reminiscent in many places of the sagas it discusses. It provides a view of the geographical structure of Iceland, its place names, topographical features, archaeology and existing towns and homesteads, always weaving them in to the sagas and other writings that still live so vividly in the culture of the island until the modern day, with most of the sagas happening in recognisable locations that can be visited today. He takes historical themes such as the settlement of Iceland and the coming of Christianity, deals with important personalities like Snorri Sturluson, and tells the stories of some of the main sagas.

The book’s strength lies in the combination of a supremely knowledgeable author and a very good editor. Mentions of historical characters in one place are tied back to other chapters in which they appear. People who pop up more than one story or saga are cross-referenced so you know where they fit in. This is masterful work and I wonder if that quality would be found in a book published today. Some lovely photos and a good index complete a marvellous book which was a real joy in the reading.

Best of all, perhaps, at the beginning of each chapter was a little bit in Old Icelandic with its translation underneath. Covering up the translations, I managed to make out more of the Icelandic than I thought I would – obviously I’ve not forgotten as much as I feared. This bodes well for brushing it up if I ever go to Iceland myself (Old Icelandic and Modern Icelandic are closer than Shakespearean and Modern English, as they didn’t have a Great Vowel Shift (ouch!) like we did, and the vocabulary has been carefully controlled).

This is a fine book saddled with a rather weak gimmick. Magnus Magnusson has gone back to Walter Scott's Tales of a Grandfather and used excerpts of it as a sort of a literary framework. I found this weak; I quickly stopped reading the excerpts.

Also, there are no source notes.

Omit those facts -- which, for me at least, cost the book a star -- and you have a fine book. It reads well, it is as complete as can be expected in a book with such broad scope, and the index makes it easy to find material. Also, Magnusson does a good job of keeping relevant material together -- you won't have to do much page-skipping to find out all there is to know about Malcolm Canmore or James III or whoever you are looking for.

Despite the caveats, this is an excellent book.

The book does what it advertises: it provides a story of Scotland, not a historical analysis. As an introduction and overview of Scottish history, it is an excellent resource, especially considering the ample span Magnusson is writing about. However, it is a fact-finding exercise rather than a problem-solving tool that history should be. Discussions about certain kings are quite ample, but they can be a bit biased. For example, he describes how Malcolm III is one of the most important king of Scots, yet he dedicated only 10 pages to him (of which about half are solely on St Margaret). Macbeth, on the other hand (one of the most important king of Scots, in my opinion), has 25 pages, even when there are only 7 primary sources on him, and numerous other on Malcolm. Therefore, Magnusson does not set to challenge or even propose alternative to problems in Scottish history, but merely to suggest their existence and expose them. And yes, I agree, some kings were simply bad (King Duncan, anyone?).

Very useful dictionary... help me a lot before the rise of wikipedia... short biographies of leaders and personalities, small or great...½

I have always been intrigued by English and Scottish history. Having recently returned from a two week golf trip to Scotland, I find myself even more deeply interested in the history and people of that country.

This is a very good, broad and comprehensive treatment of Scottish history and personages from the earliest time through the present. Much of what is written is seen through the prism of English history, as the two are necessarily intertwined. A few complaints, however.

The author routinely identifies places and monuments through reference to highway numbers. At times, the history reads like a travelogue. While this is undeniably helpful to Scottish readers who wish to visit those sites, the failure to include good maps leaves one wondering.

More disconcerting is the author’s insistence on rehabilitating virtually every historical personage of Scottish importance. To believe the author, almost every Scottish leader was a swell guy who has been mistreated by history. The phrase, “Recent research has painted a far more (a)sympathetic, (b)complimentary, (c)positive portrait of xxxxxxxxx than previously thought” appears over and over again as Magnusson goes about his job of rehabilitating previously poorly thought of leaders and Kings. Seriously, some of those fellows were probably just bad Kings. Deal with it.

Having said that, I find Scottish genealogy far easier to follow than the rat’s nest that was Medieval and Renaissance English royal politics. Trying to decipher the in-breeding and marriage alliances involved in the War of the Roses can cross your eyes, whereas James I begat James II, who begat James III, who begat James IV, who begat James V, who begat Mary (uh-oh). Of course, the near constant turmoil and political infighting only increased exponentially with the Reformation and introduction of religious strife to the region. To read the record, the 16th and 17th centuries were consumed with constant intrigue and rebellion, more often as not, focusing on the tug of war between royalty dominated Episcopalianism and church (and individual) led Presbyterianism (and forget about the poor stray Catholic that may be periodically drawn and quartered).

All in all, a very educational and time worthy effort for anyone curious about the development of Scotland as an independent nation and the historical personages that played a role in that process, both inside and outside the country.

Scotland: The Story of a Nation is a great book to fill in the gaps in your knowledge of Scottish history. Or even if you're knowledge is one big gap (as mine was), this book is a solid learning tool. Magnusson presents the knowledge in a straightforward, matter of fact style, but also includes random anecdotes and side-stories to keep the reader entertained. The information--ranging from the creation of a landform which eventually became Scotland to the creations of Sir Walter Scott--is arranged systematically and broken into digestible pieces. There are a wealth of battle maps and appendices, and a very healthy index.
The one complaint I have with this book (and oddly enough, it turned into rather a big deal for me), is that Magnusson often identifies locations by naming major modern highways. I found it jilting that just when I was engrossed in the history, the author would come along and name a road or highway for a reference point. I understand how this could be helpful for soon-to-be travelers or inhabitants of the region, but it was out of place and a little unneccesary for any other reader. A map of the country which named more than just the major cities and landforms would have worked much better.½

A concise collection of useful brief biographies.

Very interesting collection and also some history behind the stories.

To listen to some, you would think that Time Team invented TV archaeology ...

A well-done and useful biographical dictionary, in the format of a dictionary. A nicely organized reference.½

Case 1 shelf 6

Mangusson, Magnus/Voyages and travels > 1951-1980/Journalists > Scotland > Biography

Rec'd by VeganMedusa. Looks pretty cool.

read before traveling to Scotland with Lena in 2010. Middle Ages extends from pp.22-273 hiatis from 1840-1998 inexplicitly1