Norwegian Tragedy

Aage Borchgrevink is an eminent Norwegian journalist and literary critic. He has worked as an advisor to the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights since 1993 and in 2004 was awarded the Ossietzky Award by the Norwegian P.E.N. Club for outstanding promotion of free speech.

• Preface vii1 The Explosion 12 Bacardi Razz 73 A West End Family: Anders Behring Breivik’s Childhood 254 Morning on Utøya 455 Morg the Graffiti Bomber: Anders Behring Breivik’s Youth 596 The ‘Mother of the Nation’ Returns to Utøya 947 Andrew Berwick and Avatar Syndrome 1118 The Safest Place in Norway 1489 The Book Launch 16110 Survivors 18111 Rescuers 19712 What Is Happening in Norway? 21013 Anders Behring Breivik’s Seventy-Five Minutes on Utøya 22614 Hatred 247Notes 273Acknowledgements 287Index 288

"Superb"—London Review of Books"A highly detailed and authoritative account of the Breivik's carefully orchestrated rampage. The psychological issues raised by Borchgrevink's account, backed up by his journalistic research on Breivik's life and activities, make this book an important empirical and theoretical contribution to the literature on the study of radicalisation into violent extremism."—Perspectives on Terrorism"A powerful book that once begun is impossible to set down; surely the definitive journalistic account of a national trauma."—Ron Eyerman, Yale University"Brevik's mass murder coming of all places from Norway shook the world. By a cool clear and yet compassionate analysis the book throws Northern bright light on the heart of darkness. The book succeeds in providing a rich context which helps us us partially understand this wretched act of irrationality. The last chapter tells us a great deal about hatred. It is something we should all know about."—Avishai Maraglit"Borchgrevink’s book warrants to be embraced by sociologists and criminologists, not to mention all those who endeavour to subscribe to a better world"—David Marx"A Norwegian Tragedy will remain for a long time - a very long time - the best book about the tragedy of 22 July 2011. Read this book!"—Verdens Gang"Aage Storm Borchgrevink has written the book that had to be written about Anders Behring Breivik: strong, harrowing and compassionate - one of the richest Bildungsroman-style stories ever written."—Bergens Tidende"Possibly the most important book written so far in an effort to explain Breivik and what led to 22 July 2011. A Norwegian Tragedy is the story of Norway’s darkest day, and almost an unauthorised biography of Anders Behring Breivik."—Dagsavisen"By a cool, clear and yet compassionate analysis the book throws Nothern bright light on the heart of darkness and succeeds in providing a rich literary context, which helps us partially understand this wretched act of irrationality."—The Advertiser