Vikings: A History of the Northmen

by W.B. Bartlett

1066: a battlefield in England, a mighty king lies prone on the ground, his lifeblood ebbing out of him. As he draws his last breath, the world of which he is the greatest figurehead also moves towards its end, its existence about to pass from history into legend and later into myth. This is not Hastings; it is Stamford Bridge, and the dying king is Harald Hardrada, one of the greatest figures of the Viking age. It was a bolt from the blue when Viking raiders descended on the defenceless monastery at Lindisfarne in 793 and left it a heap of burning rubble. In succeeding years, other monasteries fell too; Jarrow, Monkwearmouth, Iona. Britain and Ireland suffered extensively as did France, Spain, Italy and even the mighty Byzantine Empire. But this was not just a period of conquest and violence. It was also an age of exploration, Viking ships crossed the Atlantic, through Shetland and Orkney to the Faroes and from there to Iceland, Greenland and North America. They sailed east and their traders moved across the steppes and rivers of Russia down to Constantinople, then the greatest city in Christendom. This is the story of the Vikings, those men and women raided and traded their way into history whilst at the same time helping to build new nations in Scandinavia and beyond. It is also the tale of evocatively-named great men; Sweyn Forkbeard, Harald Bluetooth, Ragnar Lodbrok, Erik the Red, Ivar the Boneless, Cnut the Great.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval History, Medieval

432 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2020

About the author

W.B. Bartlett has worked across the globe in almost twenty countries and has spent time in over fifty. He is the author of many history books for Amberley Publishing, including titles on the Titanic, Medieval History and Dam Busters. He lives in Bournemouth.

Reviews

[Shane Findlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Kaelen Kinnaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A preface is needed as I absolutely love this author. I started with his crusade books and gradually shifted over to his northern European ones. This is a very good overview and summary of what the people we call "Vikings" were really like. It's shocking, graphic, and explained in a smooth, readable style. The only fault I would point out has nothing to do with the author, but the subject matter. One can easily get confused with the names of important people of this culture and time period. It seems that nearly everyone is named Olaf or Erik, so it's easy to have this trip you up. I think this is a great starter book to have as it's a great overview of the Viking age.

[Miki Persson Caracciolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

very through and interesting account of the vikings. the book is very well researched and detailed, with interesting insights and analysis. however it is quite dense in certain sections and can get confusing as a lot of the historical figures discussed have very similar names. however, the author breaking down the chapters into sections is very useful and makes it less confusing. definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in the vikings!

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very concise history of the Vikings that is both interesting and entertaining. The author is an established historian across several subjects which adds to the story by placing the Vikings in the broader world historical context. There is also some reference to archeological finds that add to our understanding of these people of the north.