jjares reviewed History of Sweden: A Captivating Guide to Swedish History, Starting from Ancient Times through the Viking Age and Swedish Empire to the Present on + 3261 more book reviews
Before reading this book, what I knew about Sweden would easily pass through the eye of a needle. However, this is a fascinating story of a unique group of people. I learned that Sweden, along with Switzerland, is a neutral country (I thought Switzerland was the only neutral country). This is a well-researched and well-written overview of a dynamic country and culture. This book is a good, concise history of Sweden, with more photos and drawings than Captivating HIstory usually has in their offerings.
With little arable land, Sweden used trading to increase its country's wealth. The author points out that the Swedish Vikings were more interested in settling on distant real estate, rather than pillaging -- as the Dane and Norse Vikings. The Swedish Vikings even colonized Russia and Ukraine. This is an old culture and there were many struggles to create a nation.
The author did a great job explaining the concept of 'ex-communication.' Most don't understand the concept fully. It was a terrible penalty used cautiously because of its significant ramifications. Because of Sweden's close contact with Germany, they were caught up in the Protestant Reformation and had squabbles over removing the Catholic Church's ties with the government. The comparison of King Henry VIII and Gustav Vasa (the Father of Sweden) showed the depth of the author's knowledge.
This is one of the best of the Captivating Histories I've read. The author kept my attention throughout the story. Bravo!
With little arable land, Sweden used trading to increase its country's wealth. The author points out that the Swedish Vikings were more interested in settling on distant real estate, rather than pillaging -- as the Dane and Norse Vikings. The Swedish Vikings even colonized Russia and Ukraine. This is an old culture and there were many struggles to create a nation.
The author did a great job explaining the concept of 'ex-communication.' Most don't understand the concept fully. It was a terrible penalty used cautiously because of its significant ramifications. Because of Sweden's close contact with Germany, they were caught up in the Protestant Reformation and had squabbles over removing the Catholic Church's ties with the government. The comparison of King Henry VIII and Gustav Vasa (the Father of Sweden) showed the depth of the author's knowledge.
This is one of the best of the Captivating Histories I've read. The author kept my attention throughout the story. Bravo!
