"A Very Present Help in Trouble" contains the first English translation of the autobiography of a remarkable eighteenth-century Icelandic Lutheran priest, Jon Steingrimsson. He is a well known figure in the history of Iceland, especially for his heroic role in helping his parishoners survive a catastrophic volcanic eruption in 1783. This book begins with an introduction describing the living conditions of the Icelandic people of his time. Jon Steingrimsson's work is the first and perhaps the greatest autobiography in Icelandic literature."