The Viking World

by James Graham-Campbell

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.

This is a revised and updated edition of James Graham-Campbell's authoritative account of the Viking world, based on recent archaeological research, with an important chapter on ships, shipwrights and seamen from Sean McGrail. 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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, European History, Cultural, Historical, Medieval, Archaeology

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book providing an overview of several different aspects of Viking life ranging from warfare to art to religion. Some of the information is a bit dated as the book was published in 1980 and there have been several new discoveries since then. But this book has something that the other Viking books I read this year did not: detailed illustrations (e.g., of shipbuilding techniques) and photographs of archeological finds (e.g., the artwork and other items found in the famous Oseburg burial mound). Enjoyed this read and recommend to those with either a casual or serious interest in Scandinavian history.

[Dio Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice little overview of the Vikings, though I did find that the opening chapters less involved than the subsequent ones. Definitely worth a read if you're seeing if there are any aspects of the Viking culture that interest you. I found the chapters dealing with symbolism and iconography really interesting.

Also worth noting that the images included are great. They're not really referenced in the text, though, so you have to direct yourself to the relevant ones.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sort of book was my jam before the internets. Good one. Well presented. Not just a coffee table book. Some of the science is quite outdated. tracking migrations via blood type is just precious.

[Sonia Bellhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well-researched book with lots of information about the time the Vikings lived. The plentiful illustrations are a bonus to the text in this book and showcase Viking Art and craft as well as jewellery and rune stones

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, and both scholarly and very readable. There have probably been a lot of discoveries and reassessments since this book was published forty years ago, and I hope there's another book out there as entertaining as this.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://bloodygranuaile.dreamwidth.or...

[Carlo Van Niekerk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and detailed. Love the graphical/photo illustrations.

[Noah Bout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great starting point for Viking archaeology

[JC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts out with interesting reading about home life and adventures. Then goes into more detail about archeological digs and reports.

[Kolet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Viking age, anything to do with Vikings I'm all over it. I really liked this book, as it shows the workman ship and delicate passion that the Vikings put in to their boats, art and clothes. Stunning photos and really cool facts about each artefact.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good general overview of the Vikings and what they left behind that has since been studied to learn more about their culture. This book is a good starting place for those want to learn more about the Vikings.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this so much. Very fascinating.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't an in-depth book, but it's gorgeous--especially the illustrations of Viking metalwork. A beautiful overview of Viking culture and history.

[Juan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and delightful. It is a must read for anyone interested in the Viking history.

[Kolet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Viking Age and anything to with Vikings I'm all over it. I really liked this book. The Photos are just magnificent. It shows the workmanship and passion but into weapons, clothes and art.

[Jada Roche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent overview..picked up on a whim because the pictures were interesting. Now I need to travel to Sweden. ;p