Tag Archives: Norway

The North Sea Empire in the Early Eleventh Century: A White Paper on Its Military, Political, and Economic History

Posted on December 2, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The early eleventh-century North Sea Empire—principally associated with King Cnut the Great (r. 1016–1035)—represented one of the most ambitious and short-lived thalassocratic unions of medieval Europe. Encompassing England, Denmark, Norway, and intermittent influence over Sweden and parts of … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Divergent Fortunes — A Comparative Analysis of Norway and Scotland’s North Sea Oil Strategies

Posted on June 24, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The discovery of oil in the North Sea in the late 1960s offered both Norway and Scotland a unique economic opportunity to redefine their national trajectories. While both nations possess similar geographies and offshore energy potential, the outcomes … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Secret Life Of The City

Posted on April 7, 2024 by nathanalbright

Secret Life Of The City: How Nature Thrives In The Urban Wild, by Hanna Bjorgaas I remember reading a book originally in Norwegian about geography and finding it faintly ridiculous that the author found Norwegian cartography so notable on the … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Theater Of The World

Posted on January 30, 2024 by nathanalbright

Theater Of The World: The Maps That Made History, by Thomas Reinertsen Berg This book is a classic example of why you should not judge a book by its cover. The cover of this book, both in its title and its subtitle, … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Beyond Sing The Woods

Posted on March 19, 2022 by nathanalbright

Beyond Sing The Woods, by Trygve Gulbranssen When I was about ten pages or so from finishing the book, I wondered how it was that the main characters were going to resolve their difficulties. It seemed like an obvious pairing … Continue reading →

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The Hunt For Obscure Norwegian Novels

Posted on January 31, 2022 by nathanalbright

Last night at the pot luck before our variety show I had a conversation with one of the deacons in our congregation who happens to live relatively close to me about a wide variety of subjects, and the topic of … Continue reading →

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Album Review: Peer Gynt

Posted on July 29, 2020 by nathanalbright

Peer Gynt, by various artists Admittedly, it must be stated at the outset that this is not the most accessible opera for most listeners.  The opera itself, with words by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen and with music by Norwegian composer … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Almost Nearly Perfect People

Posted on August 15, 2019 by nathanalbright

The Almost Nearly Perfect People:  Behind The Myth Of The Scandinavian Utopia, by Michael Booth It is hard to tell whether the author really wished to damn the Scandinavian cultures with faint praise by exposing the darker side of the … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Peer Gynt

Posted on March 22, 2019 by nathanalbright

Peer Gynt, by Henrik Ibsen I liked this play a lot, and that mildly surprised me, especially given how different this play is from the general body of work of his that I am familiar with.  I must say that … Continue reading →

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Book Review: A Doll’s House And Other Plays

Posted on March 22, 2019 by nathanalbright

A Doll’s House And Other Plays, by Henrik Ibsen This particular collection of plays features one I am very familiar with, A Doll’s House, and two I have never read, The League Of Youth and The Lady From The Sea.  … Continue reading →

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