Since the Napoleonic era the two great Scandinavian kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden have been transformed into model parliamentary democracies. The Finns are now no longer seen only as quarrelsome and unintelligible knife-fighters, the Swedes as swaggering, boastful introspective materialists, the Norwegians as a scattered group of bovine alcoholics and the Danes as bicycling pornography enthusiasts. Tony Griffiths has blended together in a fascinating way their culture, history and politics over two hundred years, and describes how, even in the third millennium, the Nordic nations continue their metaphorical struggle with malevolent trolls. 'This is the only history of the four Scandinavian nations in print in the English language.'Tony Griffiths' stated intentions are to analyse the relationship between cultural and political change by looking at Scandinavian artists and their works, and to provide an "outsider" history of the area without the all too common parochialism and bias of local historians. He has succeeded remarkably on both counts. There is an astonishing amount of information in Scandinavia's 200-odd pages, yet the lively style makes page after page read like a good story.' - Australian Book Review 'An heroically compressed history of the politics and diplomacy by which the four nations have won and held their independence, and a witty and affectionate account of their leading writers, artists and businessmen.' - Hugh Stretton, Adelaide Review Tony Griffiths was educated at Adelaide and Cambridge Universities. He has taught Australian and Scandinavian history for a quarter of a century at universities in Australia, Japan and Europe.
