The Viking

by Alan Baker

"Oh, Lord, save us from the rage of the Nordic people."
-Ninth-century French prayer

One moment they were a mere speck on the sea; the next, a murderous force slashing its way into unprotected monasteries and villages; routing proud armies; and pillaging villages and kidnapping innocents. For three centuries, the Vikings rained terror on Europe. As fearsome as these warriors were, however, there was far more to Viking life and culture than battle.

The Viking takes you on a fantastic voyage into history, where you'll meet legendary Viking warriors, explorers, kings, and poets. It chronicles the repeated Norse invasions of the British Isles and the European mainland, from the destruction of the Anglo-Celtic monastery at Lindisfarne through the founding of Normandy and the battles of Hastings and Stamford Bridge. This enlightening book also examines Viking culture, religion, and explorations, including:
* Norse gods, mythology, and belief in an afterlife
* Day-to-day life in Viking settlements
* Discovery and settlement of Iceland and Greenland
* Leif Eiriksson's voyage to the new world
* A Viking battle with native Americans
* Swedish exploits in the Volga and the founding of Russia

Genres: History, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2004

Reviews

[Noemi Bercaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A journey through the life of a viking. Fascinating tales, folklore, myths, and beliefs that the vikings shared between Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. The chapter on their mythology will keep you thirsty for more.

[Jake Jackson]

The Viking by Alan Baker is a well-written introduction and overview of the history and culture of the Scandinavians in the 8th-11th centuries. It is a mix between historical narrative and fact supported by consistently interesting primary source documents (sagas, etc.) and more contemporary historians like Magnus Magnusson. The book is rather short (200 pages or so) and can easily be read in the course of 2-3 days. I would definitely recommend this book for someone who wants a short and fulfilling introduction to the Viking world.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader]

I wanted to like it, I really did. I think I was just not in the right frame of mind for it. I like the notion of telling these stories as a narration, novel style however the writing herein drifts between writing in second person ‘novel’ style to writing in third person ‘information/history’ style and I could not get my head around it.

I will leave it unrated (which I have just found out I can do) and get back to it one day.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good overview of the viking world for anyone who would like to learn about the historical Norse without having to plow through tons of acedemic and archeological material.