Vikings

At the turn of the first millennium, Viking raiders devastated Anglo-Saxon England, looting monasteries and cathedrals and destroying much of the fragile culture. Yet pressure from the invaders caused the Anglo-Saxon nations to unite and grow strong under King Alfred, resulting in the conversion of many Viking marauders. Learning flourished and, even when fully conquered, Anglo-Saxons found themselves protected as part of a Christian Viking empire.

Author and historian Paul Cavill tells the enthralling story of how King Alfred and his successors tamed and integrated the Vikings into the Anglo-Saxon way of life.

An engaging and popular history of a mysterious era of English history--the conquest of the Vikings. Its mixture of 'Dark Age' fear and its emphasis on the fighting faith of kings, country, and monasteries is sure to fascinate and delight.

Paul Cavill is a lecturer in English and research fellow for the English Place-Name Society for School of English Studies at the University of Nottingham. He is also the author of Anglo-Saxon Christianity and Vikings. He resides in Leicester, England, with his wife and their two children.