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Hvitekrist
The first volume in the Age of Kings series. Olav Haraldsson (ca. 950–1030) is the first figure we meet in this monumental and ambitious five-volume series on Norway’s great Viking and Middle Age kings. This is the new history of Norway, written by our most important young scholar of the Middle Ages, Tore Skeie. After Olav Haraldsson died, he was canonised as Saint Olav. But who was he?
In this work, Tore Skeie delves into sources contemporary to Olav in order to bring the historical Olav to life, a man who diverges much from the heroic figure we know from Snorri Sturluson’s sagas. We meet a young man setting forth, arriving in Norway with outsize ambitions: a warrior king who, armed with gold and silver, sets out to conquer the land. Norway is being forged as a nation and much is at stake. Who will be the last man standing as the ruler of the realm?
In this work, Tore Skeie delves into sources contemporary to Olav in order to bring the historical Olav to life, a man who diverges much from the heroic figure we know from Snorri Sturluson’s sagas. We meet a young man setting forth, arriving in Norway with outsize ambitions: a warrior king who, armed with gold and silver, sets out to conquer the land. Norway is being forged as a nation and much is at stake. Who will be the last man standing as the ruler of the realm?
312 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
July 7, 2024
Real Rating: 4.5* of five, rounded up
The Publisher Says: Thrilling history provides a new perspective on the Viking-Anglo Saxon conflicts and brings the bloody period vividly to life, perfect for fans of Dan Jones
The first major book on Vikings by a Scandinavian author to be published in English, The Wolf Age reframes the struggle for a North Sea empire and puts readers in the mindset of Vikings, providing new insight into their goals, values, and what they chose to live and die for.
Tore Skeie ("Norway's Most Important Young Historian") takes readers on a thrilling journey through the bloody shared history of England and Scandinavia, and on across early medieval Europe, from the wild Norwegian fjords to the wealthy cities of Muslim Andalusia.
Warfare, plotting, backstabbing and bribery abound as Skeie skillfully weaves sagas and skaldic poetry with breathless dramatization as he entertainingly brings the world of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons to vivid life.
In the eleventh century, the rulers of the lands surrounding the North Sea are all hungry for power. To get power they need soldiers, to get soldiers they need silver, and to get silver there is no better way than war and plunder.
This vicious cycle draws all the lands of the north into a brutal struggle for supremacy and survival that will shatter kingdoms and forge an empire…
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: This Norwegian historian's viewpoint on the rise and spread of the late-Viking-era North Sea empire. The seeds of this immense stretch of territory coming under one ruler were set in the attacks of Harald Gormsson, King of Denmark, (whom we call "Bluetooth" and yes, he's the source of the name of the wireless connectivity protocol on your phone) on the rich and peaceful (therefore ripe for robbery) Anglo-Saxon Kingdom(s). His wars against the neighboring Saxon Kingdom along the Baltic Sea coast were costly, and even resulted in his loss of control over Norway; much money for rearming and hiring mercenaries was needed and, well, Anglaland ho! Alas, his death came before he could finish a war of conquest in what is today a coastal region of Poland.
Aethelred the Redeless, who fought Harald and Sweyn his whole life, on his coinage
We don't see all that much of Harald in English-language histories, but he was more than the raiding monarch seeking silver to pay for his wars. He was also the one who introduced a centralized coinage for Denmark, guaranteeing its value would always be the same wherever one was paid in it. And one means of assuring that? Go get silver from someone else. The English have lots! And so it came to pass that the immensity of the North Sea became the middle ground between two halves of one empire...in fact, for a brief time, and in imagination for a longer one.
Harald's son Sweyn (opponent of "Saint" Olaf Haraldsson for the title of King of Norway, who is pictured above), after successfully rebelling against him, continued his father's efforts to unite the coasts of the North Sea under his family. A period of uncertainty in his rule before his first reported raid on the murderers of his kinsfolk in their midst (the appalling St Brice's Day massacre!) beginning a long campaign of looting and terror against the English. This campaign turned into occupation; the occupation turned into becoming the King of the English in 1013. Leaving England in the hands of his second son, he hurried off to fight another war...and died before 1015.
He was thus not as successful as was his own son, King Canute as he is known in English and Cnut the Great at home (his coin portrait is above). He ruled all three kingdoms, Norway from 1028, Denmark from 1018, and England from 1015, for twenty years and made a decent fist of it. What happened, as happened to most all territorially great empires, was just the reality of physics. In an era without motorized transport, the chances of maintaining control over a huge swath of territory are not great. Cnut did not overcome the odds, dying in 1035 with England still barely under his control. His descendants continued to cherish hopes of reacquiring England until Edward the Confessor died in 1066, when Harald Hardrada was killed with his army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge defending his, um, very (very) extended family's claim on the wealthy English realm. This was the last gasp of the North Sea Empire as envisioned by Harald Gormsson a century before.
The territorial drive of the father, son, and grandsons wasn't out of character; wasn't unusually violently for the era; and is ripe for reconsideration by English-language readers to account for our lamentable tendency to simply unsee the viewpoints of others on our shared histories. This volume is the first translated, for the most part skilfully, into English. I'd say the one concerning lacuna in this rendering into English of a popular history written in Norwegian is the use of colloquially still prevalent "Anglo-Saxon" in reference to the people, not the culture, of England from the 6th through 11th centuries. It's established through the use of genomics that the people of England are still largely Britons. It's a minor cavil in a work of popular history.
More frustrating to me is the lack of maps in the DRC. There are (see above) very nice black-and-white illustrations at the chapter opens but in my DRC, there weren't maps and, in any history text that discusses battles, that is a serious omission. I am aware that there are indeed maps in your final copies, I hasten to say, but I haven't seen them and can't comment on their effectiveness at conveying information they're meant to. I left off only a half-star in my rating, however, because that lack was both unique to the DRC and somewhat compensated for by the sheer pleasure of reading the skillfully translated text. Alison McCullough deserves much praise. While there is a sense of the original text's depth of scholarship, the primary affect of this book is one of absorbing, intelligent conversation overheard by the reader...not all the references or historical figures will stay in one's mind, available for instant recall, but even at lazier moments when I didn't feel like chasing a reference or an actor in the endnotes, or the "Overview of Persons" as this text charmingly calls the Dramatis Personae, I was carried along by what felt to me like very readable, accessible prose. Enough explanation was offered to my non-specialist brain to enable me to move forward with a real sense of the ethos in which events transpired.
Overall, the point of a book such as this...a lovely illustrated trade-paper edition of popular history about the pre-Norman Conquest world of England...is to please and intrigue the history buff on your gifting list. (Or you, of course.) I feel confident that it will serve that purpose.
Pushkin Press continues its streak of fascinating, unusual in the US, points of view presented in beautiful and pleasurable format.
The Publisher Says: Thrilling history provides a new perspective on the Viking-Anglo Saxon conflicts and brings the bloody period vividly to life, perfect for fans of Dan Jones
The first major book on Vikings by a Scandinavian author to be published in English, The Wolf Age reframes the struggle for a North Sea empire and puts readers in the mindset of Vikings, providing new insight into their goals, values, and what they chose to live and die for.
Tore Skeie ("Norway's Most Important Young Historian") takes readers on a thrilling journey through the bloody shared history of England and Scandinavia, and on across early medieval Europe, from the wild Norwegian fjords to the wealthy cities of Muslim Andalusia.
Warfare, plotting, backstabbing and bribery abound as Skeie skillfully weaves sagas and skaldic poetry with breathless dramatization as he entertainingly brings the world of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons to vivid life.
In the eleventh century, the rulers of the lands surrounding the North Sea are all hungry for power. To get power they need soldiers, to get soldiers they need silver, and to get silver there is no better way than war and plunder.
This vicious cycle draws all the lands of the north into a brutal struggle for supremacy and survival that will shatter kingdoms and forge an empire…
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: This Norwegian historian's viewpoint on the rise and spread of the late-Viking-era North Sea empire. The seeds of this immense stretch of territory coming under one ruler were set in the attacks of Harald Gormsson, King of Denmark, (whom we call "Bluetooth" and yes, he's the source of the name of the wireless connectivity protocol on your phone) on the rich and peaceful (therefore ripe for robbery) Anglo-Saxon Kingdom(s). His wars against the neighboring Saxon Kingdom along the Baltic Sea coast were costly, and even resulted in his loss of control over Norway; much money for rearming and hiring mercenaries was needed and, well, Anglaland ho! Alas, his death came before he could finish a war of conquest in what is today a coastal region of Poland.
Aethelred the Redeless, who fought Harald and Sweyn his whole life, on his coinage
We don't see all that much of Harald in English-language histories, but he was more than the raiding monarch seeking silver to pay for his wars. He was also the one who introduced a centralized coinage for Denmark, guaranteeing its value would always be the same wherever one was paid in it. And one means of assuring that? Go get silver from someone else. The English have lots! And so it came to pass that the immensity of the North Sea became the middle ground between two halves of one empire...in fact, for a brief time, and in imagination for a longer one.
Harald's son Sweyn (opponent of "Saint" Olaf Haraldsson for the title of King of Norway, who is pictured above), after successfully rebelling against him, continued his father's efforts to unite the coasts of the North Sea under his family. A period of uncertainty in his rule before his first reported raid on the murderers of his kinsfolk in their midst (the appalling St Brice's Day massacre!) beginning a long campaign of looting and terror against the English. This campaign turned into occupation; the occupation turned into becoming the King of the English in 1013. Leaving England in the hands of his second son, he hurried off to fight another war...and died before 1015.
He was thus not as successful as was his own son, King Canute as he is known in English and Cnut the Great at home (his coin portrait is above). He ruled all three kingdoms, Norway from 1028, Denmark from 1018, and England from 1015, for twenty years and made a decent fist of it. What happened, as happened to most all territorially great empires, was just the reality of physics. In an era without motorized transport, the chances of maintaining control over a huge swath of territory are not great. Cnut did not overcome the odds, dying in 1035 with England still barely under his control. His descendants continued to cherish hopes of reacquiring England until Edward the Confessor died in 1066, when Harald Hardrada was killed with his army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge defending his, um, very (very) extended family's claim on the wealthy English realm. This was the last gasp of the North Sea Empire as envisioned by Harald Gormsson a century before.
The territorial drive of the father, son, and grandsons wasn't out of character; wasn't unusually violently for the era; and is ripe for reconsideration by English-language readers to account for our lamentable tendency to simply unsee the viewpoints of others on our shared histories. This volume is the first translated, for the most part skilfully, into English. I'd say the one concerning lacuna in this rendering into English of a popular history written in Norwegian is the use of colloquially still prevalent "Anglo-Saxon" in reference to the people, not the culture, of England from the 6th through 11th centuries. It's established through the use of genomics that the people of England are still largely Britons. It's a minor cavil in a work of popular history.
More frustrating to me is the lack of maps in the DRC. There are (see above) very nice black-and-white illustrations at the chapter opens but in my DRC, there weren't maps and, in any history text that discusses battles, that is a serious omission. I am aware that there are indeed maps in your final copies, I hasten to say, but I haven't seen them and can't comment on their effectiveness at conveying information they're meant to. I left off only a half-star in my rating, however, because that lack was both unique to the DRC and somewhat compensated for by the sheer pleasure of reading the skillfully translated text. Alison McCullough deserves much praise. While there is a sense of the original text's depth of scholarship, the primary affect of this book is one of absorbing, intelligent conversation overheard by the reader...not all the references or historical figures will stay in one's mind, available for instant recall, but even at lazier moments when I didn't feel like chasing a reference or an actor in the endnotes, or the "Overview of Persons" as this text charmingly calls the Dramatis Personae, I was carried along by what felt to me like very readable, accessible prose. Enough explanation was offered to my non-specialist brain to enable me to move forward with a real sense of the ethos in which events transpired.
Overall, the point of a book such as this...a lovely illustrated trade-paper edition of popular history about the pre-Norman Conquest world of England...is to please and intrigue the history buff on your gifting list. (Or you, of course.) I feel confident that it will serve that purpose.
Pushkin Press continues its streak of fascinating, unusual in the US, points of view presented in beautiful and pleasurable format.
July 23, 2025
Canute the Great ruled one of medieval Europe’s largest, most powerful empires. Despite this, good histories of Canute or his impressive empire are scarce. The Wolf Age is an excellent history that both tells the tale of how this North Sea Empire came to be and why it did not last.
The Wolf Age is aptly named. It chronicles the late Viking Age, a raw period when power accumulated only to him with the most swords, swords could only be had for for the cost of silver, and silver was gained only through pillaging raids. Kingdoms and empires rose and fell on this brutally simple equation.
Tore Skeie’s history shows this math in action stretching across three generations. He opens his history in the 10th century with the death of Edward the Peaceful in England, and the rise of Harald Bluetooth in Norway. As Edward’s nickname implies, he ruled over a rare, peaceful period in Anglo-Saxon England. His death, accompanied by an ill-portended comet, was soon followed by the first Viking raids on England in generations. Edward left two young sons, the eldest of whom was soon murdered, bringing the younger brother, Ethelred, to England’s throne at the age of 12. He would rule England for 38 years — the longest rule of any Anglo-Saxon king, and he would war with the son and grandson of Harald Bluetooth through the entirety of his reign.
The bulk of this history focuses on the running war between Ethelred and Sweyn Forkbeard, Harald Bluetooth’s son. It lasted beyond both of their lifetimes and was continued by their sons, Edmund Ironsides and Canute (later called The Great). Other figures are key to the narrative as well, principally Olaf Haraldsson, a warrior King of Norway later transformed into an unlikely Christian saint. Canute would eventually triumph, creating an empire that included all of England, Denmark, and Norway — a great North Sea power base that rivaled its contemporary Holy Roman Empire on the continent.
The history here related is gripping and well told. The warrior kings and their machinations to gain and keep power are fascinating. Beyond the main thrust of its narrative, this book reveals intriguing bits of history. Ethelred was nicknamed “The Unready,” but that word didn’t carry its modern meaning then. In Old English, it meant ill-advised, and was an apt pun of Ethelred’s Christian name, which meant well-advised. A picture we have of Canute is probably a close likeness, as it was made in his lifetime and he viewed it, giving us a rare glimpse back a thousand years. Small facts like these spice the greater tale, and amplify what an excellent history The Wolf Age is.
The Wolf Age is aptly named. It chronicles the late Viking Age, a raw period when power accumulated only to him with the most swords, swords could only be had for for the cost of silver, and silver was gained only through pillaging raids. Kingdoms and empires rose and fell on this brutally simple equation.
Tore Skeie’s history shows this math in action stretching across three generations. He opens his history in the 10th century with the death of Edward the Peaceful in England, and the rise of Harald Bluetooth in Norway. As Edward’s nickname implies, he ruled over a rare, peaceful period in Anglo-Saxon England. His death, accompanied by an ill-portended comet, was soon followed by the first Viking raids on England in generations. Edward left two young sons, the eldest of whom was soon murdered, bringing the younger brother, Ethelred, to England’s throne at the age of 12. He would rule England for 38 years — the longest rule of any Anglo-Saxon king, and he would war with the son and grandson of Harald Bluetooth through the entirety of his reign.
The bulk of this history focuses on the running war between Ethelred and Sweyn Forkbeard, Harald Bluetooth’s son. It lasted beyond both of their lifetimes and was continued by their sons, Edmund Ironsides and Canute (later called The Great). Other figures are key to the narrative as well, principally Olaf Haraldsson, a warrior King of Norway later transformed into an unlikely Christian saint. Canute would eventually triumph, creating an empire that included all of England, Denmark, and Norway — a great North Sea power base that rivaled its contemporary Holy Roman Empire on the continent.
The history here related is gripping and well told. The warrior kings and their machinations to gain and keep power are fascinating. Beyond the main thrust of its narrative, this book reveals intriguing bits of history. Ethelred was nicknamed “The Unready,” but that word didn’t carry its modern meaning then. In Old English, it meant ill-advised, and was an apt pun of Ethelred’s Christian name, which meant well-advised. A picture we have of Canute is probably a close likeness, as it was made in his lifetime and he viewed it, giving us a rare glimpse back a thousand years. Small facts like these spice the greater tale, and amplify what an excellent history The Wolf Age is.
February 17, 2022
A good history focusing on the Norwegian 'vikings'.
July 7, 2024
"Brothers will fight
and kill each other,
-an axe-age, a sword-age
-shields are riven-
a wind-age, a wolf-age-
before the world goes headlong.
No man will have
mercy on another."
- The Seeress Prophecy
Certain historians have a remarkable ability to write historical prose that reads like a novel. A perfect example is Barbara Tuchman. Add to this short list Tore Skeie, a famous Norwegian historian, and his magnificent "The Wolf Age".
Starting in 975 CE in the wake of the death of King Edgar the Peaceful of England. This epic historical drama covers the violent conflict that took place in the North Seas till 1030. The cast of characters is vast from the Kings of Wessex such as Aethelred, Edgar "The Peaceful" and Edward. We also meet prominent Anglo-Saxon magnates like Easric Streona, Ealdorman Byrhtnothand Ulfcytel "The Brave" and the Anglo-Saxon Clergy such as Archbishop Wulfstan.
The Nordics number among them famous Jarls and Kings of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Normandy.
Using skaldic poetry, Skeie shows the violent conflicts that helped to shape England in the pre-Norman Conquest period. From famous Viking raiders to the Cnut the Great who will come to rule England, this story not only brings the historical figures alive but does a superb job of explaining this time of enormous change. Not only is this the development of England, but it will show the development of the modern nations of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
One of the best history books I've read in a while and one of the best on this topic. Highly recommended.
and kill each other,
-an axe-age, a sword-age
-shields are riven-
a wind-age, a wolf-age-
before the world goes headlong.
No man will have
mercy on another."
- The Seeress Prophecy
Certain historians have a remarkable ability to write historical prose that reads like a novel. A perfect example is Barbara Tuchman. Add to this short list Tore Skeie, a famous Norwegian historian, and his magnificent "The Wolf Age".
Starting in 975 CE in the wake of the death of King Edgar the Peaceful of England. This epic historical drama covers the violent conflict that took place in the North Seas till 1030. The cast of characters is vast from the Kings of Wessex such as Aethelred, Edgar "The Peaceful" and Edward. We also meet prominent Anglo-Saxon magnates like Easric Streona, Ealdorman Byrhtnothand Ulfcytel "The Brave" and the Anglo-Saxon Clergy such as Archbishop Wulfstan.
The Nordics number among them famous Jarls and Kings of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Normandy.
Using skaldic poetry, Skeie shows the violent conflicts that helped to shape England in the pre-Norman Conquest period. From famous Viking raiders to the Cnut the Great who will come to rule England, this story not only brings the historical figures alive but does a superb job of explaining this time of enormous change. Not only is this the development of England, but it will show the development of the modern nations of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
One of the best history books I've read in a while and one of the best on this topic. Highly recommended.
June 8, 2025
And in other news, even if they’re made into Christian Saints after they died - Viking Kings were probably massive d**** in life. A fascinating tale of the machinations of some of the last Viking like Kings - full of politics, betrayal, battles and great sagas worthy of Game of Thrones. But like … real, so better 😁
January 3, 2022
“The Wolf Age” is a marvelous account of the struggles for power in England and Scandinavia during the late 10th and early 11th centuries. Most of the histories of late Anglo-Saxon England I’ve read were written by British authors who, perhaps naturally, condemn the “Viking” raids and invasions and lament the periods of Danish rule. Tore Skeie, a Norwegian historian, takes a more balanced approach. While, he does not glorify the Viking raiders or attempt to soften the brutality of their methods, he puts them into a wider historic context. Drawing on the numerous poems of the Skalds, poets employed by Scandinavian nobility to memorialize their exploits and achievements, Skeie is able to give us a more rounded account.
Best of all, “The Wolf Age” is well written (and translated) history that moves with the pace of a good novel. The lessons are timeless. In the words of Olaf Haraldsson, Viking raider, 10th century King of Norway and rival of Cnut, King of the English and Danes, “Hunger for land and power leads to the deaths of men.”
Best of all, “The Wolf Age” is well written (and translated) history that moves with the pace of a good novel. The lessons are timeless. In the words of Olaf Haraldsson, Viking raider, 10th century King of Norway and rival of Cnut, King of the English and Danes, “Hunger for land and power leads to the deaths of men.”
July 29, 2025
A decent history book following the Vikings following the Dark Ages, like Cnut and Stiorr. Focuses more on the Norwegian and Icelandic Vikings. I think I would have liked reading this more than the audiobook
August 8, 2025
A vital consideration here is that this is the first history of the late 10th and early 11th centuries written by a Scandinavian historian and translated into English. This is more important than usual because very little was written in Scandinavia during this transitional period. While there are peripheral writings in England, Normandy, northern Germany and even Muslim Spain, for Scandinavia, it's necessary to rely on heroic poetry composed by contemporary "skalds", which were written down later in languages that have changed considerably by today. That makes this the first book to, in English, really perform a detailed treatment of the first part of the North Sea wars using all the available sources.
This transitional period saw Scandinavia changing from the pagan to the Christian religion as well as from the viking model to that of kingdoms similar to those of the rest of Europe. It's a very dynamic story with great attempts to grab power and sudden reversals. The author wisely ties it closely to some of the famous names of the era such as Kings Harald Bluetooth, Æthelred ("the Unready"), Sweyn Forkbeard, Olaf Tryggvason, Cnut the Great and the one this Norwegian author clearly finds the most interesting, King and later Saint Olaf of Norway (though it's clear there was little that was saintly about his behavior). The joker in this deck is Eadric Streona of England, a sort of empathy-free manipulator and wheeler-dealer – a Loki – who would betray anyone at anytime so long as it provided him an advantage. By the way, it turns out Æthelred and Eadric were Tolkien's model for King Theoden and Wormtongue.
So it's a constantly intriguing story as they plot and wage war against one another. But there's also a healthy amount of social history that discusses daily life, religious observances, court life, and so on. One senses that the author is not as interested in these matters as the poliitco-military history, however, and they are less engrossing. It's not just that the famous people are the ones we prefer to read about. I have read histories of, say, the Anglo-Saxons, that tease out many more interesting facts about medieval life than are apparent here.
While I'm complaining a bit, there should have been more maps and more labels so that the reader knows where the referred-to places are.
One big fail is that there is a (black-and-white) photo at the start of each chapter, but to get the caption for it you must annoyingly go to the list of illustrations at the back of the book.
There is no index, which is unpardonable for a book published in 2022, though there is an ending chronology that helps.
At times the book repeats points, making it seem less like a complete book and more like a series of articles. This might help explain the lack of an index, if this is just an edited collection. But maybe the author just forgot what he mentioned earlier.
There are occasional statements that seem dubious, such as the claim that there were no nuclear families in Scandinavia.
Occasionally the reader feels talked down to, such as when it explains that a man whose nickname was "Wobbly Belly" means that he was probably fat.
The book could have been a bit broader in approach as well. Several times are mentioned developments such as the use of religion to bolster royal power, the use non-noble ministers for the same reason, the collection of a very loyal band around the king and so on. The book does not seem to always realize that these developments were a general trend with all European kingdoms, indeed with all Indo-European kingdoms.
The book seems to need a sequel to cover the events in England between the death of Cnut and the coronation of Edward the Confessor as they seem part of the same cloth. Well, maybe we'll see it one day.
This transitional period saw Scandinavia changing from the pagan to the Christian religion as well as from the viking model to that of kingdoms similar to those of the rest of Europe. It's a very dynamic story with great attempts to grab power and sudden reversals. The author wisely ties it closely to some of the famous names of the era such as Kings Harald Bluetooth, Æthelred ("the Unready"), Sweyn Forkbeard, Olaf Tryggvason, Cnut the Great and the one this Norwegian author clearly finds the most interesting, King and later Saint Olaf of Norway (though it's clear there was little that was saintly about his behavior). The joker in this deck is Eadric Streona of England, a sort of empathy-free manipulator and wheeler-dealer – a Loki – who would betray anyone at anytime so long as it provided him an advantage. By the way, it turns out Æthelred and Eadric were Tolkien's model for King Theoden and Wormtongue.
So it's a constantly intriguing story as they plot and wage war against one another. But there's also a healthy amount of social history that discusses daily life, religious observances, court life, and so on. One senses that the author is not as interested in these matters as the poliitco-military history, however, and they are less engrossing. It's not just that the famous people are the ones we prefer to read about. I have read histories of, say, the Anglo-Saxons, that tease out many more interesting facts about medieval life than are apparent here.
While I'm complaining a bit, there should have been more maps and more labels so that the reader knows where the referred-to places are.
One big fail is that there is a (black-and-white) photo at the start of each chapter, but to get the caption for it you must annoyingly go to the list of illustrations at the back of the book.
There is no index, which is unpardonable for a book published in 2022, though there is an ending chronology that helps.
At times the book repeats points, making it seem less like a complete book and more like a series of articles. This might help explain the lack of an index, if this is just an edited collection. But maybe the author just forgot what he mentioned earlier.
There are occasional statements that seem dubious, such as the claim that there were no nuclear families in Scandinavia.
Occasionally the reader feels talked down to, such as when it explains that a man whose nickname was "Wobbly Belly" means that he was probably fat.
The book could have been a bit broader in approach as well. Several times are mentioned developments such as the use of religion to bolster royal power, the use non-noble ministers for the same reason, the collection of a very loyal band around the king and so on. The book does not seem to always realize that these developments were a general trend with all European kingdoms, indeed with all Indo-European kingdoms.
The book seems to need a sequel to cover the events in England between the death of Cnut and the coronation of Edward the Confessor as they seem part of the same cloth. Well, maybe we'll see it one day.
March 22, 2024
I read this book after watching Vinland Saga and finding out that the Danes had occupied / ruled England for a collective ~150 years, which was news to me.
Fascinating read about an era of history that gets glossed over or generalized based on tropes about Vikings.
“One cannot really understand the history of England without understanding Scandinavian history, and one cannot really understand Scandinavian history without understanding English history”
Fun Fact: The Normans were descendants of Norsemen, so the even though Cnut’s kingdom didn’t last, the Scandinavians still got the last laugh.
(Also strange to me that “Anglo-Saxon” is a term used by far right / racist groups to denote some sort of “superior ethnic lineage” when as far as I can tell the most common theme for them was *checks notes* being repeatedly conquered and subjugated)
Fascinating read about an era of history that gets glossed over or generalized based on tropes about Vikings.
“One cannot really understand the history of England without understanding Scandinavian history, and one cannot really understand Scandinavian history without understanding English history”
Fun Fact: The Normans were descendants of Norsemen, so the even though Cnut’s kingdom didn’t last, the Scandinavians still got the last laugh.
(Also strange to me that “Anglo-Saxon” is a term used by far right / racist groups to denote some sort of “superior ethnic lineage” when as far as I can tell the most common theme for them was *checks notes* being repeatedly conquered and subjugated)
January 21, 2023
This was a bit dry. I think the sub title of the English version is slightly misleading as this is really the life and times of Olaf Haraldsson (later St Olaf) with a bit about King Cnut thrown in for good measure. Nice to have a non-English centric view of Cnut, who tends to be a bit of a cartoon figure in England (the modern spelling of his name probably doesn’t help 🫤); but this wasn’t a page turner for me.
November 6, 2021
A compelling read with wonderful historical extracts and commentary. The characterisation of historical figues was immersive and detailed, and the course of narrative was crafted so that no one dramatic moment ever got stale. The pacing of the book was good in order to digest the events and details and left room to appreciate the poetic phrase which drove vivid imagery. I couldn't put it down!
November 11, 2018
Det eneste som skuffa meg, var avslutningen. Hvorfor ble Olav Haraldsson helgengjort etter sin død? Uten det, ville han bare vært enda en middelalderkonge. Men boka slutter faktisk før selve slaget ved Stiklestad i 1030.
July 27, 2024
Epic book! It’s crazy that we know so much about what happened 1000 years ago. The Vikings and Anglo-Saxons were absolute nutcases. Really interesting to read about the power and politics in this weird intertwined world around the North Sea where people, money and ideas moved around freely. A book I can recommend. 5/5
January 24, 2025
Very informative, but the names made my head spin hah!
November 21, 2023
This is the sort of history book I like! One that focuses on a perhaps less well known period, event or personality and is told in an exciting and informative way. 'The Wolf Age' reminded me of 'The White Ship', 'Devil Land', 'The House of Dudley' and 'The Hapsburgs' -to name just a handful- because it shares their authors' understanding if what makes for good, popular history: a different take on a familiar story, evidence of rigorous research and a knack for exciting storytelling.
The Wolf Age covers the early medieval period, from the late 10th to mid-11th centuries, largely focusing on the disastrous reign of King Aethelred, the Viking attempts to take control of England and the emergence of Cnut and the short-lived establishment of the North Sea Empire. Originally written in Norwegian, the book makes use of the Skaldic poetry of the time to give us a fascinating and detailed account of early medieval life in both England and Scandinavia. The author's extensive focus on the career of 'St' Olaf Haraldsson, an unfamiliar but pivotal figure, is fascinating and sheds light on how the reputations of dubious figures from a much earlier time can be posthumously whitewashed for political and cultural reasons.
An excellent book and well recommended.
The Wolf Age covers the early medieval period, from the late 10th to mid-11th centuries, largely focusing on the disastrous reign of King Aethelred, the Viking attempts to take control of England and the emergence of Cnut and the short-lived establishment of the North Sea Empire. Originally written in Norwegian, the book makes use of the Skaldic poetry of the time to give us a fascinating and detailed account of early medieval life in both England and Scandinavia. The author's extensive focus on the career of 'St' Olaf Haraldsson, an unfamiliar but pivotal figure, is fascinating and sheds light on how the reputations of dubious figures from a much earlier time can be posthumously whitewashed for political and cultural reasons.
An excellent book and well recommended.
March 5, 2024
This was a fascinating and pretty clear introduction for me to the Vikings and England from about 975 to roughly 1030 - a period I knew nothing about, so I can't comment on the accuracy of the book. I can say that I found it readable, using a pencil to mark dates and names as I read, and it was mostly fascinating.
I wasn't sure why the latter part of the book spent so much time on Olaf instead of other names that were appearing, but it became clear as time progressed. The most enjoyable sections for me were the many descriptions of life at the time, but overall I found this entertaining and educational. I feel comfortable recommending it to anyone who would like to know more about the Vikings and life at that time.
NB - Apparently the author is well-known and respected in Norway, but this is the first time one of his books has been translated into English. I thought that gave the book an unusual perspective, and appreciated that I wasn't reading an American or British author's take, like I normally would.
I wasn't sure why the latter part of the book spent so much time on Olaf instead of other names that were appearing, but it became clear as time progressed. The most enjoyable sections for me were the many descriptions of life at the time, but overall I found this entertaining and educational. I feel comfortable recommending it to anyone who would like to know more about the Vikings and life at that time.
NB - Apparently the author is well-known and respected in Norway, but this is the first time one of his books has been translated into English. I thought that gave the book an unusual perspective, and appreciated that I wasn't reading an American or British author's take, like I normally would.
July 2, 2025
Skeie writes a beautifully-told pop history of St Olaf and his world. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the "Viking" world at the start of the eleventh century. This work shows the connections from England to Denmark to Norway (and other regions).
Alison McCullough deserves credit too for the translation. The smooth telling never falters.
Alison McCullough deserves credit too for the translation. The smooth telling never falters.
April 9, 2025
A bit difficult to get into and much more detailed than other non-fiction books I’ve read, but very interesting to get a different viewpoint on the Anglo Saxon age from the Scandinavian angle
October 12, 2024
An excellent history focussing on the real lives of the Scandinavians and their power struggles for supremacy in a harsh and brutal world.
July 29, 2025
Lärorik och ett nöje att läsa. Koncis, men ger mycket stoff och insikter.
October 8, 2025
A good narrative history of the chaotic 10th and 11th centuries prior to 1066 that informed both British and Scandinavian kingdoms thereafter. If you are interested in St Olaf, Æthelred, or Canute the Great, this book has something for you.
November 26, 2024
I don’t want to apply ⭐️s to a nonfiction read. This is a nonfiction book that reads much like a textbook. If you are not into the time period and the history provided here then this is not the book for you. This one is pretty straightforward.
I mostly enjoyed this book despite it reading like a college textbook because I’m obsessed with the historical events and individuals that make up the 11th century.
The 11th century is my Roman Empire.
There is SO MUCH historical information provided in this book but I came to this read specifically for Emma of Normandy.
A couple years ago I read Patricia Bracewell’s Emma of Normandy trilogy, and that story sent me down the rabbit hole of all things Viking.
Æthelred the Unready was King of England who married Emma of Normandy (second wife) to bridge relations with the Vikings at a time when Vikings were raiding England - because Emma was a descendant of Rollo. (Inspired the Vikings character) Emma would go on from this bad marriage to also marry Cnut, a Viking leader, son of Sweyn Forkbeard. A woman in the 11 century both married to an English King and a Viking King. No wonder she is historical romance gold. What a story.
I find the history fascinating. Most people surround themselves with history based off information learned from favorite TV shows, when most times television is historically inaccurate and are simply stories built “inspired” from actual history. Do the research! Study history. Read historical text and find out what really happened. History is simply stories of the past. All our beloved historical romances inspire from history.
The history channels Rollo was inspired from an actual historical Rollo (930AD) (not Ragnar’s brother) who would be the first ruler of Normandy. Emma of Normandy would be a great granddaughter of said Rollo. A Viking descendent born a noblewoman.
In this read you learn about the real Olaf Haraldsson (Vikings Valhalla) and Leif Erikson (Vikings Valhalla) who was said to possibly be the first European to discover America.
If this time period interest you and you can read a textbook of information, you’d probably enjoy this one. I liked it.
I mostly enjoyed this book despite it reading like a college textbook because I’m obsessed with the historical events and individuals that make up the 11th century.
The 11th century is my Roman Empire.
There is SO MUCH historical information provided in this book but I came to this read specifically for Emma of Normandy.
A couple years ago I read Patricia Bracewell’s Emma of Normandy trilogy, and that story sent me down the rabbit hole of all things Viking.
Æthelred the Unready was King of England who married Emma of Normandy (second wife) to bridge relations with the Vikings at a time when Vikings were raiding England - because Emma was a descendant of Rollo. (Inspired the Vikings character) Emma would go on from this bad marriage to also marry Cnut, a Viking leader, son of Sweyn Forkbeard. A woman in the 11 century both married to an English King and a Viking King. No wonder she is historical romance gold. What a story.
I find the history fascinating. Most people surround themselves with history based off information learned from favorite TV shows, when most times television is historically inaccurate and are simply stories built “inspired” from actual history. Do the research! Study history. Read historical text and find out what really happened. History is simply stories of the past. All our beloved historical romances inspire from history.
The history channels Rollo was inspired from an actual historical Rollo (930AD) (not Ragnar’s brother) who would be the first ruler of Normandy. Emma of Normandy would be a great granddaughter of said Rollo. A Viking descendent born a noblewoman.
In this read you learn about the real Olaf Haraldsson (Vikings Valhalla) and Leif Erikson (Vikings Valhalla) who was said to possibly be the first European to discover America.
If this time period interest you and you can read a textbook of information, you’d probably enjoy this one. I liked it.
February 25, 2019
‘Om Olav Haraldsson og hans tid’ er en veldig passende undertittel. Personene som opptrer mest er
Olav Haraldsson
Knut av Danmark og England,
Svein Tjugeskjegg
Æthelred av England
Torkel Høye
Ædric Streona
Rikard II hertug av Normandie
Også veldig interessant å lese om Kalifatet i Sør-Spania.
Flyter veldig godt, og balanserer veldig fint mellom ekstra informasjon som informerer om dagliglivet i verdenen deres, samtidig som den ikke mister seg i det tungleste og unødvendige.
Anbefales!
Olav Haraldsson
Knut av Danmark og England,
Svein Tjugeskjegg
Æthelred av England
Torkel Høye
Ædric Streona
Rikard II hertug av Normandie
Også veldig interessant å lese om Kalifatet i Sør-Spania.
Flyter veldig godt, og balanserer veldig fint mellom ekstra informasjon som informerer om dagliglivet i verdenen deres, samtidig som den ikke mister seg i det tungleste og unødvendige.
Anbefales!
September 22, 2023
I got 100 pages in and gave it up as a bad job.
This is a shame, as it's well written, easy to follow and the pages turn very easily. However, the scholarship regarding Anglo-Saxon England is pretty dated and there are too many things that were simplified to the point of inaccuracy. In particular, Skeie would have benefited from reading Abel's Lordship and Military Obligation. This would have helped the book no end.
This is a shame, as it's well written, easy to follow and the pages turn very easily. However, the scholarship regarding Anglo-Saxon England is pretty dated and there are too many things that were simplified to the point of inaccuracy. In particular, Skeie would have benefited from reading Abel's Lordship and Military Obligation. This would have helped the book no end.
December 30, 2022
Well I wanted to like this book but the use of a specific racist word just threw me off entirely. I don't if the author intended for that word to be used or the translator. I don't think it would have been difficult to have found a different and therefore better word. There were some of issues but the one mentioned above was bad enough.
January 15, 2025
Tough at times to get into. I wanted to read this in preparation for my trip to Norway but this book could be summed up in about 1 sentence. Loyalty during this period shifted to whoever could pay the most silver. It was very in the weeds and for my interest level I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped to.
December 27, 2018
For et fantastisk dypdykk inn i en de mest myteomspunne figurene i norsk historiene. Hadde mye kunnskapen fra før av, men aldri så godt fortalt og så bra sammensatt. Jeg fikk et helt annet bilde av Olav Haraldsson etter denne boka.
Anbefales til alle som er interessert i norrøn historie og kultur.
Anbefales til alle som er interessert i norrøn historie og kultur.
July 8, 2019
Tidvis interessant, men omstendelig. Likte ikke lesestilen til Kai Remlov denne gangen.
September 18, 2024
No corn in medieval England
May 4, 2024
We're pretty used to hearing about this era (the 900s and early 1000s) from an English historical perspective, in which England is the main stage and Vikings simply appear from the wings and wreak havoc. But this book is different. It shows Scandinavia as a main setting, with the action moving back and forth across the North Sea, and sometimes even off to the east and south, to create a thorough-going and richly patterned historical account.
Scandinavia is shown to be a formidable power-base. This shouldn't actually come as a surprise. Viking raiders travelled (wreaked havoc) far and wide - Russia, the Mediterranean, Ireland and probably even North America.
The climax of the story is the success of the Dane, Canute (Cnut), who ruled England and much of Scandinavia in the late 1010s to mid 1030s. Of course, regional power shifted to the Normans about 30 years later (at least as far as England is concerned). But on the subject of Viking spread and influence, it's worth remembering that 'Norman' comes from 'North Men' or 'Norse Men'. Though they had become very Frenchified by 1066 when they conquered England.
I listened to the audiobook which was excellently narrated by one Michael Page, who indefatigably ploughed his way through a great word-hoard of Nordic and Anglo-Saxon names and places with complete alacrity and what sounded like (to my more or less untrained ear) perfect pronunciation.
The ears of watchers of The Last Kingdom would have pricked up at the name Uhtred of Bamburgh. But if the fictional character in the TV series / Bernard Cornwall novels was Uhtred son of Uhtred, then the character in this history must have been Uhtred son of Uhtred, son of Uhtred, son of Uhtred, son of Uhtred etc, because this is a considerably later time period and this Uhtred met an ignoble end, assassinated after various machinations at the connivance of Canute.
A fascinating book about a time of gold-friends, skalds and warriors, and well worth the read / listen.
Scandinavia is shown to be a formidable power-base. This shouldn't actually come as a surprise. Viking raiders travelled (wreaked havoc) far and wide - Russia, the Mediterranean, Ireland and probably even North America.
The climax of the story is the success of the Dane, Canute (Cnut), who ruled England and much of Scandinavia in the late 1010s to mid 1030s. Of course, regional power shifted to the Normans about 30 years later (at least as far as England is concerned). But on the subject of Viking spread and influence, it's worth remembering that 'Norman' comes from 'North Men' or 'Norse Men'. Though they had become very Frenchified by 1066 when they conquered England.
I listened to the audiobook which was excellently narrated by one Michael Page, who indefatigably ploughed his way through a great word-hoard of Nordic and Anglo-Saxon names and places with complete alacrity and what sounded like (to my more or less untrained ear) perfect pronunciation.
The ears of watchers of The Last Kingdom would have pricked up at the name Uhtred of Bamburgh. But if the fictional character in the TV series / Bernard Cornwall novels was Uhtred son of Uhtred, then the character in this history must have been Uhtred son of Uhtred, son of Uhtred, son of Uhtred, son of Uhtred etc, because this is a considerably later time period and this Uhtred met an ignoble end, assassinated after various machinations at the connivance of Canute.
A fascinating book about a time of gold-friends, skalds and warriors, and well worth the read / listen.
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