Scandinavian History, Medieval History
Available on Bookshop
Write a review
Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Log in to track your reading progress.
Overview
"For 300 years, from the ninth to the eleventh centuries, the power of the Vikings dominated western Europe. Their voyaging extended westwards to America and as far south as the Mediterranean and North Africa. As well as being warriors and accomplished seamen, they were jewellers, sculptors and poets of great skill and originality: the forts, town sites, ships, burial mounds, carved stones, place names, sagas, art and artefacts they left behind substantiate their legendary exploits." In this account of the Viking world, based on recent archaeological research, every aspect of Viking life is examined. Important chapters on ships, runes and religion have been contributed by specialist authors, and the text is complemented by a wealth of illustration, including maps and reconstruction drawings. Photographs, many of them especially commissioned, portray the brilliant products of the Vikings; culture and the beauty and harshness of the natural world they faced.From their origins in the Iron Age to the Norman Conquest, the life and culture of the Vikings--including their rich legacy of literature, mythology, and geographic knowledge--is thoroughly traced in this stunning new volume. 260 illustrations, most in color. Index. Bibliography. Chronological table.
Editorials
Library Journal
In this general overview, edited by a leading scholar in the field, Scandinavian history and expansion from circa 750 to 1150 C.E. are explored thematically. The book's four sections cover the Vikings' origins, Viking-age Scandinavia, overseas interactions, and the end of the Viking world. The thematic organization creates confusion, often forcing one to jump centuries within a paragraph. Substandard research-e.g., King Harald Fairhair is referred to as Harald Finehair-casts doubt on the book's credibility, and the writing style can be trite "The Vikings were a people who had great respect for the law-though that is not how they are usually thought of today". Many superior books, such as Donald Logan's The Vikings in History Hutchinson, 1983, Else Roesdahl's The Vikings Allen Lane, 1987, and editor Graham-Campbell's The Viking World Ticknor & Fields, 1980, exist for general readers.-Kurt I. Munson, St. Ambrose Univ., Davenport, Ia.School Library Journal
YA-This pictorial history presents a rich resource for exploring Viking life, art, and technology. Organized into four sections, it focuses on origins, ascendancy in Scandinavia, overseas adventures, and decline. Numerous full-color photographs show craftwork, ship replicas, archaeological artifacts, and many other objects illustrating the range of Viking culture. Useful maps, plus ground-level and aerial photographs from sites along the coastlines of Europe, North America, Great Britain, and inland Russia show the extent of Viking travels during the height of their civilization.Booknews
A profusely and colorfully illustrated exploration of aspects of Viking life and beliefs and tour of their sites throughout northern Europe. The topics include burials, fortresses, home, leisure, costume, ships and navigation, runes, and paganism and Christianity. The sites range from Novgorod through Scandinavia and the British Isles to North America. Includes a glossary without pronunciation. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR booknews.comBook Details
Published
December 1, 2013
Publisher
Lincoln, Frances Limited
Pages
208
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780711234680