Iceland: Horseback Tours in Saga Land

This is early 20th-century travel writing at its most transporting. W.S.C. Russell rode Icelandic ponies across a land where volcanoes still smolder and sagas still linger in the air. Written during the golden age of adventurous exploration, this book captures Iceland before tourism, when the island remained something of an enigma to English readers. Russell weaves together history, landscape, and living culture. He begins with the Viking discovery and settlement, tracing how Norwegian chieftains fled their king's tyranny to find this island of fire and ice. From the dramatic cliffs of the Faroe Islands to the volcanic majesty of Hekla, his narrative follows the paths only a horse can traverse, through terrain that rewards the patient rider. He encounters a people both fierce and gentle, shaped by centuries of isolation, and reflects on the great Icelandic sagas that still animate the landscape. The Icelandic pony itself becomes a character in this journey, the sturdy, sure-footed breed that makes such travel possible. For readers who love the romance of early travel narratives, or those dreaming of Iceland before it became a bucket-list destination, this book offers an enchanting time capsule.