'...the book renders a great service to those whose unfamiliarity with the Northern world has until now led them to omit it from their consideration.' English Historical Review '... an important study which covers new ground.... a point of reference for all further work on the subject...the author...has done a remarkable job in bringing together a tremendous amount of data...' American Benedictine Review '... a very necessary synthesis... In this excellent work one finds much valuable information...' Revue d'Histoire Ecclesiastique '... presents a clear view of monastic development in northern Europe before 1200... skillful use of archaeology... This is a highly satisfying book that will be a standard work of reference on northern monasticism for many years to come.' The Catholic Historical Review 'Nyberg's book is a pioneering work and as such extremely valuable. He has not only synthesized an enormous number of discrete studies of individual communities but has firmly tied the history of monasticism to the development of the practice of Christianity and the political history of the Scandinavian lands... he offers rich comparative material to a wide scholarly community.' Speculum 'The great value of this work not only lies in the [...] data concerning the various monasteries, but also in the situation of the foundation and potential reform of each monastery in a global ecclesial and political context.' Analecta Praemonstratensia