Rural Route Bookstore

History and World War II

History

A History of the Swedish People by Vilhelm Moberg

Moberg (1898–1972), a great 20th century Swedish writer, is best known the four-volume epic of Swedish immigration to America. [link to http://www.ruralroutebookstore.com/novels_stories.htm#moberg ] The author of such great fiction was also a historian. This two-volume work is different from traditional histories; it is a "popular" history, one written from the viewpoint of the common people. It documents peasants' daily lives in medieval Sweden as much as the lives of royal families. Volume one begins in prehistoric times; volume two ends with the Dacke Rebellion of 1542. In every chapter, Moberg faithfully imparts how politics and history affected “the whole people” of Sweden. Translation by historian Paul Britten Austin.

Volume 1: From Prehistory to the Renaissance

Volume one covers Viking raids, the coming of Christianity, and the Folkungs royal dynasty whose tyrannical reign lasted from 1250 to the 1360s. Moberg vividly describes the arrival of the Black Death, and recounts the reign of Queen Margareta who founded the Kalmar Union joining all of Scandinavia. The introduction is by Gunnar Myrdal, the Nobel Prize-winning Swedish economist and politician.

HIS - 01 Paperback $16.95

Volume II: From Renaissance to Revolution

In volume two Moberg's focus is on how the common people reacted to two dramatic revolts: the national insurrection under Engelbrekt, and the last attempt of the Småland peasantry to retain their medieval liberties. Covered in this volume are the ruthless monarch Gustav Vasa and his two tragic opponents: the active, but less than popular Christian II of Denmark, and Nils Dacke, the leader of the common people in Småland.

HIS - 02 Paperback $16.95

The Prince and the Nanny by Odell M. Bjerkness

Readers interested in Norway's history and monarchy will find this book fascinating. It chronicles the early life of Norway's King Harald as told through journals kept by Inga Berg who was Prince Harald's nurse at Skaugum, the royal family’s estate in Asker near Oslo, the first 18 months of Prince Harald's life.

Normally one could find journals of an unknown person mundane especially when they cover such a short time period, but Berg's "nephew in America," Odell Bjerkness, has created an engaging book that pulls together the history of the monarchy, the many changes occurring in Scandinavia over the past 100 years, the political climate in Norway from 1900 through WW II, and how these events impacted the Berg/Bjerkness families in both America and in Norway.

It is perhaps the layout of the book that brings this history to life. Bjerkness includes pages from Berg's journals in their handwritten form along with English translations and he supplements these texts with over 100 photos, newspaper articles, maps and charts listing royal lineage as well as the daily amounts of milk consumed by Lillebror, the name fondly bestowed upon the prince by his two older sisters. Appendices, often ignored by readers, are truly an interesting part of this new work of nonfiction.

An insight that becomes clear to the reader is how the monarchy has established a close relationship to the people of Norway, and how Norwegians have reciprocated this fondness. The author himself, though Norwegian-American, plays a major role in American relations with Norway today. Odell M. Bjerkness, now of Edina, MN and Professor Emeritus of Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, was the executive director of Concordia's Language Villages and May Seminars Abroad programs for many years. (He was also my "boss" the ten years I directed Skogfjorden, the Norwegian Language Village). Bjerkness remains active in Scandinavian-American circles, and in 1982 he received the St. Olav Medal for his work promoting Norwegian-American relations. The medal was bestowed upon him by King Olav V, Lillebror's father and Nanny Aunt Inga's ultimate employer.

HIS - 03 Paperback $19.95

Between Rocks and Hard Places by Ann Urness Gesme

Now in its fourth printing, it has a beautiful new cover that reflects the beauty of Norway and does justice to Gesme's thorough research. Quite a few books cover the lives of Scandinavian immigrants in the United States. Between Rocks and Hard Places is one of the few books written for the non-Norwegian reader that looks at daily life in Norway before mass emigration. Gesme fully explains the "push factors:" the conditions, customs and traditions in the early 1800s that drove so many people from their homeland into the unknown. It is perhaps the most comprehensive book on this topic designed for the English reader.

GLY - 05 Paperback $13.95

World War II

The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck

A unique setting for a Steinbeck novel, this WWII story is set in a small Norwegian town, one that Nazis (aided by a trusted member of that community) have occupied, overrun, and exploited. As the plot progresses, Norwegians begin small, morale-boosting acts of rebellion leaving the Nazis to wonder if reports from home about German victories are empty words.

Written as anti-German propaganda in 1941-42, it was banned in most of Europe, but illegally published in much of occupied Europe, including Scandinavia. During WWII, it was the best-known work of US literature in the Soviet Union.

Why did Steinbeck choose this topic and setting? The attack on Pearl Harbor marked a turning point in his fiction and, at that time, he was working for the OSS (the predecessor of the CIA), and in contact with Norwegian and Danish refugees. The content of propaganda he wrote was based on information from these refugees. In 1946 Steinbeck went to Norway to receive a medal from King Haakon. When asked to explain the effectiveness of this book, his reply was simple; “I put myself in your place and thought what I would do.

"Focusing on war's emotional effects, the paradox in The Moon is Down goes beyond good vs. bad. Steinbeck reminds readers that both sides in a war are comprised of people with common concerns of family, friends, and love.

WW - 08 Paperback $14.00

My Seven Lives by Solveig Sedlet

This biography, which reads like a novel, is a gripping tale of how WW II altered Sedlet's life. She relates events from pre-war years in rural Denmark to post-WWII in London to her current life in the United States, covering the transition from a peaceful childhood in a small Danish village to life under Nazi occupation to employment, emigration, and marriage.

Though there are sad and horrible events, this is not a book about being a victim. I have had the honor of meeting Sedlet, and her book — like her personality — is inspiring. Both the author and her life story renew ones faith in humanity, remind others of the inherent goodness of people, and teach us how to live with courage and spirit.

WW - 07 $13.00 Paperback

Counterfeiter: How a Norwegian Jew Survived the Holocaust by Moritz Nachstern; Ragnar Arntzen, ed.

Nachtstern (1902-1969), a Norwegian-Jewish typographer, was deported from Oslo in 1942. This is his story as told to, and written down, by his wife. Originally published in Norwegian in 1949, it has now been edited by journalist Ragnar Arntzen and was released for the first time in English three months ago.

Counterfeiter gives a captivating firsthand account of the secret Nazi project, Operation Bernhard, designed by Hitler to destabilize the British and American economies by creating and circulating millions of counterfeit bank-notes. Jewish prisoners assigned to this project were pulled aside on their way to gas chambers and were then transferred to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Isolation Block 19, where they were forced to produce almost perfect reproductions.

This true story covers three terrible years from Nachtstern's arrest, through the horrors of life in both Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen, to his escape, and it focuses on the courage and endurance needed to survive. One way these prisoners did this was to work as slowly as possible. Although this frustrated Nazi guards, the team of forgers hoped that the pace of their work would ensure they would not become expendable. Opening with an emotional forward by his daughter, he book includes photographs and sketches, an essay by Bjarte Bruland and another by Lawrence Malkin, international news correspondent and author of Krueger's Men and the National Debt on which the Oscar-winning film, The Counterfeiters, was based.

"Of the half-dozen memoirs written by the prisoners who were conscripted into the greatest counterfeiting operation in history, ..., [this book] is the most reliable and psychologically acute version...". Lawrence Malkin, expert on Operation Bernhard.

WW-04 Hardcover $24.95

Skis Against the Atom by Knut Haukelid

A true story about the Norwegian Resistance soldiers who sabotaged the Nazis' heavy water factory in Rjukan, Norway blocking the Germans' attempt to develop the atomic bomb. Written by Knut Haukelid, the leader of the sabotage team, this story was the basis of the movie starring Kirk Douglas called 'Heroes of Telemark.'

WW-01 $12.95 Paperback

Betty: A Story of Courage and Love by Arland Fiske

WW-06 Paperback $12.95

World War II Stories for Children are found here.

Geography

Journey through Iceland by Max Galli and Ernst-Otto Luthardt

Iceland's diverse geographical features — gigantic glaciers, smoldering volcanoes, hot springs, deserts of lava, valleys of green moss, spouting geysers, bubbling mudholes, gushing waterfalls, precipitous cliffs, narrow fjords — are captured in 180 full color photos. This beautiful book is part of the Stürtz Series of travel/geography books that feature the magical destinations of Europe as seen through the lenses of expert photographers.

Along with beautiful photos, this book has four art-filled, double-paged features. One focuses on the masters of Icelandic literature, the gods and heroes found in the old Icelandic sagas; another sheds light on the little people who inhabit Iceland's secret places, trolls and fairies and elves; a third focus is on the first parliament in the world; and the final feature is about Iceland's dynamic conflict of fire and ice, a theme which is obvious throughout the photography.

A place of chilly isolation, discovery, and spectacular evolution make Iceland a "country in the making". Iceland is a paradise for nature-lovers and explorers, tourists and armchair travelers.

GEO - 02 Hardcover $9.95

Finland: The Land of Lakes by Franco Figari

Remember when your practical brother-in-law announced at Thanksgiving that this year family gift exchanges must be limited to $10.00, and your mind went blank??? Well, Good Deals are hard to come by these days, but here is one.
This beautiful 11 1/2" X 9 1/2", 128-page hardcovered book, packed with excellent colored photographs of scenery and daily life in modern Finland, is a true treasure, and would make an excellent present for anyone — including yourself, Finnish or not!

Figari's in-depth knowledge of Finland's history and culture makes him a perfect guide to lead you through a tour of that remarkable country without leaving your favorite chair.

A book can be shared with others, will last forever, and this one costs less than a pizza which is gone in 15 minutes! Now that's a Good Deal, and It was this book that inspired Rural Route Bookstore to end the year with a Focus on Finland.

Only two copies left and we have not been able to find more from other distributors.

GEO - 01 Hardcover $9.95

Norway Snapshot Guidebook by Rick Steves

If you are fortunate enough to be planning a trip to beautiful Norway, this guidebook will be a helpful companion.
Contents include basic information on the best sights, hotels, restaurants and nightlife for Norway. Detailed information covers the main tourist sights, museums and harborfront of Oslo, plus a 'heart of Oslo' walk' and a self-guided city tram tour; the South Coast areas of Bergen, Stavanger, Setesdal Valley, Hovden' and Kristiansand; the popular "Norway in a Nutshell" trip through Flåm, Aurland' and Undredal; the best scenic drives and what not to miss when viewing the extraordinary beauty of the Sognefjord area with a focus on Balestrand and Lustrafjord; and a traveler's guide to the areas of the Gudbrandsdal Valley, Lillehammer, and the Jotunheimen Mountains that are found in Norway's interior.
You'll also enjoy Rick's easy-to-follow maps, and great self-guided neighborhood walks and museum tours. Like his other travel products, this book is "Rick-tested." If you are looking for more information on travel to Norway, Rick Steves DVD on Scandinavia is available — at a sale price — here.

GEO - 03 Paperback $11.95

Order by using the 'Place an Order' form or you may order by phone (800 494-9124). For payment and shipping charges, see 'Place an Order.'

All Caragana Press products are available at wholesale prices to qualified retailers, organizations, churches, schools, and libraries. Call 800 494-9124 for details.