5: Icelandic History
I have for sometime been an enthusiatic user of Lonely Planet guides for travels in Asia and in Europe. The guides I have used have been excellent sources, not only about the countries and their people but of the historical perspectives on how the country became what it is.For this reason, I was disappointed with the contents of the Facts about Iceland section of the Lonely Planet Iceland Guide. Throughout the guide, there are political biased and incorrect statements about Iceland's recent history, especially regarding Iceland's relations with the United States. Regarding the Post -Indepence section of the guide, American troops stayed on a Keflavik after the end of the war by treaty, mutually arrived at by the two governments. The American forces had come to Iceland by invitation of the Icelandic Government during WordWar II to preserve their security. Iceland has never had armed forces of her own. Iceland willingly became a member of NATO to serve her own interests,especially regarding security during the Cold War. There are other politically biased and incorrect statements in the guide regarding this time period. I e-mailed what I thought was a polite message to Lonely Planet advising them to have another look at their history sections, but I received no reply. I, and I suspect a lot of others, feel that a travel guide should not be a political forum.
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