Erik Petersson has released 12 books over 18 years. Several books have been on the history top seller lists in Sweden and he has been translated to several languages.
His new title “Machiavelli: The Price of Freedom” sheds new light on the notorious renaissance writer, the end of the Florentine Republic and the debt we all owe the outcast Florentine diplomat.
Machiavelli: The Price of Freedom
Machiavelli. A name synonymous with power. For five centuries, his book, The Prince, has been the definitive guide for tyrants. But what if it was written with a secret aim? And what does that tell us about the man who wielded the pen?
As the Florentine Republic’s top diplomat, Niccolò Machiavelli was at the heart of the storm. He navigated a treacherous world of scheming princes, warrior popes, and fanatic prophets. He fought for his city, tasted victory—and then lost it all. Thrown in prison, tortured, and ostracized, he was banished into exile.
It was from the ashes of this ruin that Machiavelli forged his immortal legacy. Historian Erik Petersson draws a portrait that shatters the myth, uncovering the covert agenda of The Prince. This is a story about the brutal nature of power and the cost of freedom—a story more urgent now than ever.
Machiavelli: The Price of Freedom (in Swedish Machiavelli: Frihet i Furstarnas tid) will be in bookstores in Swedish from March 2026
Queen Margaret’s Dream
Through her personality and qualities, Margaret was the one who shaped politics in the Nordic region during the late 14th and early 15th centuries. She completed her work on a July day in 1397 when she rode out through the city gate in Kalmar with her newly crowned adopted son, Erik, by her side.
In a part of the world where law had ceased to function and violence could no longer be restrained, she created a functioning order and the largest empire in Europe.
Formally, Erik was the king over the three realms in the union. It was a realm where everyone knew that it was she, Margaret, who made the decisions.
Kings. A world history.
What will make autocratic power thrive, and what will make it fall? In Kings. A world history Erik Petersson takes us on a journey through the history of absolute rule. The quest spins a thread of legitimacy, revival and violence from earliest history to the underpinnings of modern society.
19 year old Pavel Pestel had a problem. He and his comrades were inspired by the constitution of the free, new world. Should he trust the developments he had seen when fighting the tsar’s war in Europe? Or should he bow down and remain silent? A hundred years later, Nikolai II might have thought that the question was settled. What remained for Nikolai was to pass on his title, and until that happened – care for his beloved daughters and son.
A few years later, monarchy was wiped out as a meaningful force from history, and the monarchs took more than 30 million people’s lives with them, as the Empires of Europe fell.
What forces intertwined themselves through time, leading up to the world of only a hundred years ago? Kings. A world history is a journey backwards, across Europe, Africa, China, India, the United States and the Middle East, in search of the foundations for the power of autocratic rulers. What made one emperor fall while another stood? And what nourished the roots of the world order we take for granted today?
Petersson asks eternal questions that stretch more than 5000 years back, and go straight back into the fabric of the modern world, and to the heart of the human experience itself.
Available in Swedish: “Kungar. En världshistoria” and in Dutch “Koningen. Een wereldgeschiedenis”.
Press voices
“Quite simply a masterpiece.”- ÅSA CHRISTOFFERSSON, CORREN
“An epic work … highly educational … captivating and interesting” – BOL.COM
“Sometimes you read a book that changes your view of history. Kings: A World History is that kind of book.” – URBAN LINDSTEDT, HISTORIA.NU
“A reading adventure, full of insights.” – MATS WICKMAN, SVENSKA DAGBLADET
Prince of the North
Christian II stands in a union that is being shaken, on the brink of a new era, and he is young. At the age of 21, he is sent by his erratic father to calm the western parts of the union, to Oslo and Bergen. Christian II was a central figure in the struggle for power in the Nordic region, a struggle that has shaped us to this day, five hundred years later. This is a story of betrayal and ruthlessness, psychology, power games and cover ups, but also bravery, impossible sacrifices, hope and renewal.
Without understanding these tumultuous years, it is easy to believe that Nordic history is simpler and more straightforward than it actually is. But nothing was certain when we encounter the young Christian. Welcome to the Nordic region in the year 1500!
Prince of the North is available in Swedish: “Furste av Norden” and in Danish: “Fyrste af Norden”
Press voices
“This is the best I’ve read when it comes to historical literature.” – JAKOB CARLANDER, CORREN
“A read for a summer without Game of Thrones” – UGEBLADET SKANDERBORG
“Versatile, vibrant and entertaining” EKSTRA BLADET
“… both entertained and enlightened… We are as far from traditional history writing as we can get.” – JOACHIM LUND, INFORMATION.DK
“Popular history of the highest degree ” – DAST
“Exciting as an adventure novel […] Petersson highlights both social life, power relations and economics, during this time, so it’s not just exciting but also an in-depth and vibrant history lesson.” -DALADEMOKRATEN
“Exciting […] Read it instead of crime thrillers and airport literature.” ANDERS ELLEGAARD, HISTORIE-ONLINE.DK
“[…] fascinating parentheses about subjects rarely dealt with in our historical works” – DICK HARRISON, SVENSKA DAGBLADET
“An unusually multifaceted image” -JÖNKÖPINGSPOSTEN
“[…] stands out, in the most positive way, from the flood of popular-history books. […] Petersson is not only a highly skilled historian, you can also tell that he is a talented storyteller in the popular-history and fact-filled text that he has so cleverly crafted.” – TIDNINGEN KULTUREN
“A majestic book.” – DAGENS NYHETER
Selected books by Erik Petersson
Queen without a country
Delve into the intriguing life of Queen Christina of Sweden through this meticulously researched biography in two parts; the first book “The Mistress of Power” followed by “Queen without a country”. Experience the remarkable journey of a trailblazing monarch who defied societal expectations and made unprecedented choices, including her controversial abdication. With a focus on historical accuracy, this book uncovers the complex layers of Queen Christina’s character and explores the lasting impact she had on the course of history.
In Swedish “Maktspelerskan” and “Drottning utan land”
Wounded soldiers
Wounded Soldiers is about a time when war shaped society. The book begins in the tumultuous 16th century and ends with the transformative 18th century. During this period, some of the most devastating wars the world has ever seen, excluding the global conflicts of the 20th century, took place. Increasingly efficient state apparatuses were able to create ever larger armies. Many of those who returned from the wars were maimed by their injuries and had no means of livelihood. What awaited the wounded soldiers upon their return? What opportunities did they have to survive and support themselves in an era long before the existence of social security systems and developed healthcare? And how did the crown perceive its responsibility towards these individuals?
In Swedish “Sårade soldater”
The Merciless
Discover the compelling life of King Charles IX in this comprehensive work. Unveiling his ruthless pursuit of power, including the notorious bloodbath in Linköping, the book also reveals his surprising compassion as a family man. From a struggling nation to the brink of becoming a great power, Charles’s relentless journey to the throne offers a fascinating glimpse into the transition from the Middle Ages to the early modern period.
In Swedish “Den skoningslöse” and in Polish “Karol IX. Król bezlitosny”
