The growing interest in Norwegian language, literature, and culture in this country has created a special need for a history of the Norwegian people in the English language devoting sufficient attention to the more important phases of the people's life to show the development of their institutions and culture, their life at home, and their activity and in?uence abroad. It has been my aim in this work to meet this demand by having constantly in mind what questions an intelligent reader might be expected to ask, and by trying, as far as possible, to answer them. In the Middle Ages the Scandinavian peoples were potent factors in developing navigation, commerce, municipal life and government, literature and culture in northern Europe. But nothing has been taken for granted, nor has any theory been advanced beyond what is clearly established by the investigations of the best schol ars. The way to the original sources has, therefore, always been pointed out, and these have been used in a conservative spirit. The views of the leading scholars have been followed, and some times preference has been purposely given to the more conservative views on points where there is or might be a difference of opinion. On the whole I have deemed it advisable to adhere to Snorre Sturlason's healthful principle: It seems better to us that some thing should be added later than that anything should have to be stricken out. The period of the union with Denmark has been treated with some fullness of detail. The preservation of the people's per sonal freedom amidst general national decay, the germs of a new development distinctly traceable in social life has been especially dwelt upon, not only because these features are characteristic of the life of the Norwegian people in that period, but because they constitute the basis of their political and social development in modern times. Regarding Norway's long struggle for complete independence after 1814 an attempt has been made to state facts fearlessly and impartially, without any spirit of antagonism against the noble and heroic Swedish people, who are and will be Norway's truest friends.