Book excerpt: Though marked by certain geographical, linguistic, and cultural differences, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands are united by a common bond and a shared history. This history comes richly to life in this up-to-date and thorough account of modern Scandinavia. Structuring his history along the lines of traditional European chronology-Renaissance, Early Modern, Modern, and Contemporary periods-Byron J. Nordstrom brings a distinctly twentieth-century perspective to his work. He shows how religions, political ideas, economic practices, intellectual movements, and technological innovations have come to Scandinavia from abroad only to be modified and recast in a uniquely Nordic character. Among the many topics he examines are Gustav II’s military reforms, Danish absolutism, the constitutions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Scandinavian modern design, management techniques and shopfloor production strategies, and the welfare state. Surveying political, diplomatic, social, economic, and cultural aspects of the region’s history, Scandinavia since 1500 is a comprehensive yet nuanced portrait of this unique region.