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 more 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.

Neil Kent is Senior Associate at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge and Professor at the St Petersburg State Academy of Art, Architecture and Culture. His previous publications include A Literary and Cultural Companion to Helsinki (2004) and The History of Trieste (2006).

1. From the Stone Age to Viking hegemony; 2. The formation and growth of the Swedish state; 3. The territorial consolidation of Sweden; 4. Towards a centralist and military state; 5. The collapse of absolutism and the age of freedom; 6. Royal absolutism restored; 7. Constitutional Sweden; 8. The industrialisation and capitalisation of Sweden; 9. The world wars and Swedish neutrality; 10. Triumph of the Swedish welfare state; Conclusion; Chronology of important events in Swedish history; List of the monarchs and regents of Sweden; List of prime ministers; Selected further reading.