A concise history of Sweden / Neil Kent.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kent, Neil.

Series:

Cambridge concise histories

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sweden--History.

Sweden.

History.

Physical Description:

xii, 300 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Summary:

A comprehensive history of Sweden is much needed. Neil Kent's book sweeps through Sweden's history from the Stone Age to the present day. Early coverage includes Viking hegemony, the Scandinavian Union, the Reformation, and Sweden's political zenith as Europe's greatest superpower in the seventeenth century, while later chapters explore the Swedish Enlightenment, royal absolutism, the commitment to military neutrality, and Pan-Scandinavianism. The author brings his account up to date by focusing on recent developments: the rise of Social Democracy, the establishment of the welfare state, the country's acceptance of membership in the European Union and its progressive ecological programme. The book successfully combines the politics, economics and social and cultural mores of one of the world's most successfully functioning and humane societies. This is an informative and entertaining account for students and general readers.

Contents:

From prehistory to Viking hegemony

The formation and growth of the Swedish state

The territorial consolidation of Sweden

Towards a centralist and military state

The collapse of absolutism and the age of freedom

Royal absolutism restored

Constitutional Sweden

The industrialisation and capitalisation of Sweden

The World Wars and Swedish neutrality

Triumph of the Swedish welfare state.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 286-287) and index.

ISBN:

0521812844

9780521812849

0521012279

9780521012270

OCLC:

171111097

Online:

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