Cross and Scepter

This book is part of Sverre Bagge’s ongoing project to explain the history of the medieval Scandinavian kingdoms to an Anglophone audience. After producing a number of studies over the last three decades on state-building and political identity, particularly focused on the Norwegian and Icelandic evidence, Bagge has now turned his attention to a wide-ranging comparative account of Norway, Denmark and Sweden between the tenth and the early sixteenth centuries. It is perhaps as well to make clear immediately what this book is, as it is not necessarily one to be judged by its cover. Princeton University Press have produced an attractive volume at a reasonable price which appears to be aimed at a general reader. While the publisher might have been a bit more generous with illustrations, the only obvious omission is the provision of proper maps. The absence of both footnote references and a bibliography seem to indicate the preferred readership. There is a guide to further reading, but it will not be enough for the scholar. All this taken together, along with the title, might well encourage potential purchasers to expect a survey history of medieval Scandinavia

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