Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power - Paperback

by Jesse L. Byock (Author)

The history of medieval Europe is incomplete if it does not take Iceland into account. Jesse Byock's reassessment of medieval Iceland uses all the available sources-the medieval Icelanders' historical writings, extensive saga literature, and intricate laws-to explore the way Iceland's social order functioned.

Front Jacket

Byock's book is a tour-de-force of historical argument. He brilliantly reconstructs the inner workings of an intriguing society, not elsewhere to be found in the Western world.--David Herlihy, History Book Club

Author Biography

Jesse L. Byock teaches Old Norse and medieval Scandinavian subjects at the University of California, Los Angeles and is the author of Feud in the Icelandic Saga (1982).