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5 Interesting Swedish Nonfiction Books

1) Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff

"On November 5, 1942, a US cargo plane slammed into the Greenland Ice Cap. Four days later, the B-17 assigned to the search-and-rescue mission became lost in a blinding storm and also crashed. Miraculously, all nine men on board survived, and the US military launched a daring rescue operation. But after picking up one man, the Grumman Duck amphibious plane flew into a severe storm and vanished.

Frozen in Time tells the story of these crashes and the fate of the survivors, bringing vividly to life their battle to endure 148 days of the brutal Arctic winter, until an expedition headed by famed Arctic explorer Bernt Balchen brought them to safety. Mitchell Zuckoff takes the reader deep into the most hostile environment on earth, through hurricane-force winds, vicious blizzards, and subzero temperatures.

Moving forward to today, he recounts the efforts of the Coast Guard and North South Polar Inc. – led by indefatigable dreamer Lou Sapienza – who worked for years to solve the mystery of the Duck’s last flight and recover the remains of its crew.

A breathtaking blend of mystery and adventure Mitchell Zuckoff's Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II is also a poignant reminder of the sacrifices of our military personnel and a tribute to the everyday heroism of the US Coast Guard." (Good Reads.com)

2) This Cold Heaven: Seven Seasons in Greenland by Gretel Ehrlich

"Ehrlich unlocks the secrets of this severe land and those who live there; a hardy people who still travel by dogsled and kayak and prefer the mystical four months a year of endless darkness to the gentler summers without night. She discovers the twenty-three words the Inuit have for ice, befriends a polar bear hunter, and comes to agree with the great Danish-Inuit explorer Knud Rasmussen that “all true wisdom is only to be found far from the dwellings of man, in great solitudes.” This Cold Heaven is at once a thrilling adventure story and a meditation on the clarity of life at the extreme edge of the world." (Amazon.com)

3) The Nordic Model: Scandinavia since 1945 by Mary Hilson

"The political structures of the Scandinavian nations have long stood as models for government and public policy. This comprehensive study examines how that “Nordic model” of government developed, as well as its far-reaching influence.

           Respected Scandinavian historian Mary Hilson surveys the political bureaucracies of the five Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—and traces their historical influences and the ways they have changed, individually and as a group, over time. The book investigates issues such as economic development, foreign policy, politics, government, and the welfare state, and it also explores prevailing cultural perceptions of Scandinavia in the twentieth century. Hilson then turns to the future of the Nordic region as a unified whole within Europe as well as in the world, and considers the re-emergence of the Baltic Sea as a pivotal region on the global stage.

The Nordic Model offers an incisive assessment of Scandinavia yesterday and today, making this an essential text for students and scholars of political science, European history, and Scandinavian studies." (Good Reads.com)

4) The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia by Michael Booth

"Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years and has grown increasingly frustrated with the rose-tinted view of this part of the world offered up by the Western media. In this timely book, he leaves his adopted home of Denmark and embarks on a journey through all five of the Nordic countries to discover who these curious tribes are, the secrets of their success, and, most intriguing of all, what they think of one another.

Why are the Danes so happy despite having the highest taxes? Do the Finns really have the best education system? Are the Icelanders as feral as they sometimes appear? How are the Norwegians spending their fantastic oil wealth? And why do all of them hate the Swedes? In The Almost Nearly Perfect People, Booth explains who the Scandinavians are, how they differ and why, and what their quirks and foibles are, and he explores why these societies have become so successful and models for the world. Along the way, a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterized by suffocating parochialism, and populated by extremists of various shades." (Good Reads.com)

5) The Tattooed Girl: The Enigma of Stieg Larsson and the Secrets Behind the Most Compelling Thrillers of Our Time by: Dan Burstein, de Keijzer, Arne, and John-Henri Holmberg

"The fascinating stories behind what have been rightly called the "hottest books on the planet": The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Through insightful commentary and revealing interviews, you will enter the unique world of Lisbeth Salander, Mikael Blomkvist---and of Stieg Larsson himself---discovering the fascinating real-life experiences and incidents involving Swedish politics, violence against women, and neo-Nazis that are at the heart of Larsson's work.

John-Henri Holmberg, a Swedish author and close friend of Larsson for more than three decades, provides a unique insider's look into the secrets of the author's imaginative universe, his life, and his ideas for future books---including the mysterious "fourth book" in the series, which Larsson had started but not finished at the time of his death." (Amazon.com)

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a lake in northern Sweden

En fjällsjö mellan hemavan och norska gränsen

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Sarek, Sweden

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“I will end [this letter] but not without telling you, my dear and gentle friend, that I love you madly and that there is never a moment in which I do not adore you.”

— Marie Antoinette of France to Count Axel de Fersen of Sweden, Letter, 4 January 1792

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“The elk hesitated. ‘The world is big and cold, little child, and you are so small. The world is full of evil and wickedness, and it will hurt you.’ 'No, no. I am young and warm. I have warmth enough for everyone. I am small and good, and want to share the good I have.’”

— — Helge Kjellin, “Leap the Elk and Little Princess Cottongrass,” from Swedish Folk Tales

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… and all Is silently calm… Photo made by my beloved husband: @massejasse

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Stockholm, Sweden

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Skärhamn - Sweden (by Stefan Klaas) 

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Northern Lights over Kiruna, Sweden | Photography by ©Keith Burtonwood

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Mångata, Northern Lights & Setting Sun Exhibition by Note Design Studio at Stockholm’s Nordic Museum, 2016

#Built Beauty

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Some of the trees in sunset; do wish you were here.

(Photo: d.)

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Lady Aurora Paksuniemi, Norrbotten, Sweden

by Josefine Karlsson

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mystery of the north

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1000 year old runestone. This one reads “ These memorials are made in memory of Inga`s sons. She inherited them, but the brothers inherited her, Gärdar and his brother. They died in Greece.”

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Spectacular sun halo seen in Sweden Norway, Dec 1 2017 @ Vemdalen

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Normal Birthday Songs: happy birthday!! congratulations!! be happy!! :D

Swedish Birthday Song: you're getting shot, hanged, and drowned. Hooray!