An astonishing land of fire and ice, where active volcanoes, hot springs, and lava floes stand beside thundering waterfalls, glaciers, and ice fields in deserted, rocky landscapes, Iceland is home to some of the most dramatic scenery in the world. In this breathtaking volume, photographer Patrick Desgraupes has captured, in 175 original photos taken especially for this book, Iceland"s drama and mystery as no other photographer before him ever has. From the sweeping expanses of the island"s ocean reaches punctuated by twisted pillars of volcanic rock to sublime panoramas of mountain peaks in the blaze of northern sunsets, the otherworldly landscapes of Iceland"s interior spring to life in this remarkable book. The Icelandic essayist Einar Mar Jonsson has written a poetic appreciation of his homeland; and science writer Guillaume Cannat has provided a naturalist"s description of the titanic forces that have shaped Iceland through geological time.