Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Vanished Settlers of Greenland:
Cold and no people? Greenland sounds awesome.
Quick synopsis:
A look at the story of the vanished settlers of Greenland through literature.
Fact for Non-History People:
94% of Greenland is covered with ice.
Fact for History Nerds:
Greenland is the world’s largest island. (Australia is a continent and doesn’t count.)
My Take on The Vanished Settlers of Greenland:
Robert Rix’s “The Vanished Settlers of Greenland” is a look at how people obsess over stories about the struggle to survive in the Arctic. I am one of those people. This book is for me, and I enjoyed the hell out of it in a super nerdy way.
It should be noted this book is on the scholarly side of things as you might imagine. Rix looks at the disappearance of the Greenland settlers in the 1400s through various forms of literature. Rix states in the introduction that he is not trying to solve the mystery of their disappearance, but how that disappearance was presented and discussed in the years after.
If you are looking for a narrative history about adventure, then this book is probably not your cup of tea. It is scholarly on a specific topic. If you are looking for a book which tackles an old riddle in a comprehensive way (again, me) then you will greatly appreciate Rix’s take on the Greenland settlers. And don’t worry, there are still plenty of adventure tales within.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Cambridge University Press.)
Verdict:
A great book on the topic for Greenland nerds. Buy it here!
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