What I love about writing nonfiction is how much I learn along the journey, and my newest book, Technology of the Ancients: The Vikings proved just as enlightening! 

Here are a few bits of trivia I discovered while researching and writingThe Vikings:To 'go Viking,' meant to go on a raiding run. In the 8th Century, theterm Viking applied only to the pirate plunderers, not the Scandinavian people).The Vikings never wore horns on their helmets. That myth wasstarted several centuries later by the Europeans.A Scandinavian woman had more freedoms than her counterpartsin other cultures. She was allowed to handle the family finances and evendivorce her husband if she chose. However, she could not vote or hold public office. It was the Vikings that first set foot on North Americansoil, not Christopher Columbus. Viking navigators likely used a clear crystal, called Iceland spar,to steer the ship. The crystal helped them to locate the sun on a cloudy day. So the next time you see a horned Viking helmet on the coverof a book, you'll know the real truth!
Hope your Fall is filled with some fascinating nonfiction!
All photos courtesy of Marshall Cavendish, copyright 2011.