The Growth of Medieval Icelandic Sagas (1180–1280). By Theodore M. Andersson. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press. 2006. Pp. xi + 237. $45.

To those unfamiliar with the field, the title of Theodore Andersson's new book will perhaps sound innocent enough. Surely Icelandic Sagas evolved over time? And the dates are only relatively exact—not to mention enclosed in parentheses. Students of the sagas conversely will recognize the challenges and have their curiosity piqued. But they will doubtless approach the book respectfully knowing the previous work of the author, who has a fair claim to being the most important North American voice in saga scholarship ever since the publication of his first monograph in 1964: The Problem of Icelandic Saga Origins: A Historical Survey. Andersson has never shied away from the big questions; that his attempts to address them have succeeded so well depends on his exceptionally thorough knowledge of both the primary and secondary literature, together with his capacity for judicious analysis and elegant exposition.

John Tucker
University of Victoria