Iceland: The First New Society - Classic Study of Modern Iceland

Our review of Iceland: The First New Society finds it most valuable to readers interested in modern Icelandic culture and the historical roots of a pioneering island community. Richard F. Tomasson offers the first sociological account in English of Icelandic society, and this reissue preserves the original University of Minnesota Press text. For historians, social scientists, and serious travel readers seeking a thoughtful, continuity-focused analysis, this edition restores an important, readable study that connects medieval traditions with twentieth-century social structures.

Key Features

• First English sociological account: Presents a comprehensive perspective on modern Icelandic society that remains a foundational reference for scholars and informed readers.
• Historical continuity focus: Emphasizes the continuities in culture and social structure that shaped Iceland from settlement to modern times, helping readers trace long-term social patterns.
• Foreword by Seymour Martin Lipset: Provides authoritative context and frames Tomasson's arguments for readers new to sociological approaches to national studies.
• Faithful reissue: Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to bring the original 1980 edition back into print, preserving the text unaltered for accurate citation and close study.
• Accessible prose: Tomasson writes with clarity that suits both academic readers and educated generalists curious about Scandinavian societies.

Who It's For

This book is best for readers who want a serious sociological treatment of Iceland rather than a travel guide or a contemporary political account. Graduate students, historians, and sociologists will find the analysis of persistent cultural influences particularly useful for comparative research.

Readers seeking an up-to-date political commentary or a heavily revised modern edition with new data should look elsewhere; this reissue reproduces the original 1980 work intact, so it is most valuable as a historical and theoretical resource rather than a source of current statistics or policy analysis.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a rare early English-language sociological study that fills a gap in accessible literature on Iceland.
• Focus on cultural continuity gives a deep, interpretive framework useful for scholars and informed readers.
• The foreword by Seymour Martin Lipset adds scholarly endorsement and useful framing for the book's arguments.

Cons

• Because this is a faithful reissue of a 1980 edition, readers wanting contemporary data or recent developments will need supplemental sources.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Iceland: The First New Society is a valuable reissue for anyone studying Icelandic culture, social history, or comparative sociology. Its unaltered reproduction preserves Tomasson's original arguments and makes this foundational work accessible again; buy it for historical perspective and theoretical insight, but pair it with recent sources for current facts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a modern updated edition?
No, this is a faithful digital reissue of the original 1980 University of Minnesota Press edition and contains the text as first published.

Who wrote the foreword?
The book includes a foreword by Seymour Martin Lipset, which frames the sociological importance of Tomasson's study.

Is this book suitable for casual travelers?
Not primarily; it is more useful to students and readers seeking sociological and historical analysis than to those wanting a practical travel guide.