Vikings: A History of the Northmen

I came to this book with out much knowledge of the Vikings and finish it so much better informed. It is a fascinating, wonderful read. I found it hard to put down. And I love the writing style of the author. I will be reading more of his books. One of the best books I have read in a long time. Throughly recommended.

Brilliant!

Good read

This has to be one of the best books on Viking history I’ve read in a long time.

Good read for those who know little of this period,

The book has arrived with wear and tear. Doesn't look great.

I have no doubt that this is a valuable scholarly work that took a great deal of time and angst to research. It isn’t an easy read though, which is not so much to do with style as with structure. While the chapters are organised in consecutive historical bites the narrative within each can become very confusing to mere mortals such as myself because it bounces backwards and forwards in time and place and people. The author is dealing with getting on for three centuries of Viking history so there is much to absorb. A more linear treatment within the chapters themselves might have helped my poor addled brain. It isn’t until the end of the book when the jumbled jigsaw pieces fall into an orderly picture as the text concentrates on Cnut the Great and the slow end of Viking influence on European history. And if you've watched 'Vikings' on the telly and have been inspired to discover how historical is the story around Ragnar Lodbrok this is not the place. If I remember correctly he gets a single throwaway mention. The single most interesting new lesson I am taking away with me from this book is the Anglo-Danish, not Anglo-Saxon, character of pre-Conquest society and politics in the emerging English nation. Without the Normans England will have had a more Scandinavian heart.

Despite the 5 star reviews this book has had, I couldn't finish it and found it hard to follow. The author goes from one thing to the next, with a lot of it being explained by the archeology, rather than the original records that still survive. Overall I was disappointed with this book hence 2 stars out of 5.

Book is a Christmas gift for someone who loves Viking History

Book is good to know about Scandinavia before the viking age and great to leran about the history of vikings

Very happy with this purchase. Arrived in excellent condition and can’t wait to dive in.

Didn't know much about the Vikings but I wanted to know more about these much-maligned history-makers.This is a comprehensive introduction to the era and the dynamics of a complex, tribe-driven peoples.I now understand and accept that the Vikings were indeed a somewhat savage and relentless group of opportunists. Their butchery is well documented and their talent for enriching themselves through the slave trade is incomparable.Vengeance and internecine warfare are their trademarks. Great nicknames as well! It seems that only after several hundred years of raiding and trading they finally start to settle down and assimilate themselves into the fabric of Northern Europe. And perhaps that is their greatest contribution...their DNA; because it certainly was not their poetry, literature or scientific discoveries.A couple of things would have helped: an illustrated guide following the lineage of the ruling families. You need a roadmap for the vigor in the way their progeny manifest their destinies.Also, I know there is more to be said about the Viking influence in the east with regard to the Slavic tribes.At first I felt the Netflix series on the Vikings: "The Last kingdom," The Vikings," etc., were overdoing it...evidently not.All in all, a very competent overview of a complex peoples.

Well written, well researched and full of detail. More suited for a reader with some knowledge to the time period and geography of the area rather than a reader looking for a general introduction to the subject, like me.