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The Last Viking: The True Story of King Harald Hardrada
King Harald III (called Hardrada, or "Hard Ruler") of Norway was a real-life fantasy hero who burst into history as a teenaged youth in a Viking battle, from which he escaped with little more than his life and a thirst for vengeance.
Journey with him across the medieval world, from the frozen barrens of the North to the glittering towers of Byzantium and the passions of the Holy Land. He'll fight for and against Christian, Muslim and pagan rulers. He'll bed handmaids, a princess and an empress alike, writing poetry and amassing a fortune along the way, before returning home to claim his love, his crown and his destiny, ultimately dying like a Viking: in battle, laughing, with sword in hand.
The Last Viking is a fast-moving narrative that reads like a novel, combining Norse sagas, Byzantine accounts, Anglo Saxon chronicles, and even King Harald's own verse and prose, into a single, compelling story. While pointing out errors and contradictions in the ancient stories for the sake of accuracy Don Hollway brings the true tale of this hero to life.
Journey with him across the medieval world, from the frozen barrens of the North to the glittering towers of Byzantium and the passions of the Holy Land. He'll fight for and against Christian, Muslim and pagan rulers. He'll bed handmaids, a princess and an empress alike, writing poetry and amassing a fortune along the way, before returning home to claim his love, his crown and his destiny, ultimately dying like a Viking: in battle, laughing, with sword in hand.
The Last Viking is a fast-moving narrative that reads like a novel, combining Norse sagas, Byzantine accounts, Anglo Saxon chronicles, and even King Harald's own verse and prose, into a single, compelling story. While pointing out errors and contradictions in the ancient stories for the sake of accuracy Don Hollway brings the true tale of this hero to life.
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
January 5, 2023
The Battle of Hastings is a true 'what if' moment in time. What if instead of the Normans winning, the Anglo Saxons had been triumphant? How different would the history of England and the United Kingdom have been?
Within that 'what if' moment is the other 'what if'. What if Tostig Godwinson and Harald Hardrada had not chosen that particular time to invade England in the north. Without the forced marches, and loss of men at the battle of Stamford Bridge, would the Normans have been routed by the Anglo Saxon forces? What if the Norwegian invaders had been the winners at Stamford Bridge, would they have marched south and fought against William of Normandy. So many questions and 'what ifs'.
This book is about one of the men in that pivotal time. Harald Sigurdsson, who has become known to history as Hardrada - the Hard King. His life journey took him from outcast prince of Norway seeking asylum in Russia, to paid mercenary in the Byzantine Empire where he fought in Italy, Sicily, and the Middle East. Eventually achieving his goal to become king of Norway, he set his sights on England, and a fateful decision was made.
This is a brilliant book. It has been well researched and the words carry great energy. It does not answer the 'what ifs', but it does give you a sense of the man Harald, who through his life definitely earned the appellation, Hardrada.
I will admit to slumping just a little in the middle while Harald was fighting in Italy and Sicily, but this is the fault of my lack of knowledge of the history of those regions, and not the fault of the excellent research and writing of Don Hollway.
If you are at all interested in the history of the early middle ages, if you are at all interested in the history of England and Europe, then this book would make an excellent addition to your reading list.
Within that 'what if' moment is the other 'what if'. What if Tostig Godwinson and Harald Hardrada had not chosen that particular time to invade England in the north. Without the forced marches, and loss of men at the battle of Stamford Bridge, would the Normans have been routed by the Anglo Saxon forces? What if the Norwegian invaders had been the winners at Stamford Bridge, would they have marched south and fought against William of Normandy. So many questions and 'what ifs'.
This book is about one of the men in that pivotal time. Harald Sigurdsson, who has become known to history as Hardrada - the Hard King. His life journey took him from outcast prince of Norway seeking asylum in Russia, to paid mercenary in the Byzantine Empire where he fought in Italy, Sicily, and the Middle East. Eventually achieving his goal to become king of Norway, he set his sights on England, and a fateful decision was made.
This is a brilliant book. It has been well researched and the words carry great energy. It does not answer the 'what ifs', but it does give you a sense of the man Harald, who through his life definitely earned the appellation, Hardrada.
I will admit to slumping just a little in the middle while Harald was fighting in Italy and Sicily, but this is the fault of my lack of knowledge of the history of those regions, and not the fault of the excellent research and writing of Don Hollway.
If you are at all interested in the history of the early middle ages, if you are at all interested in the history of England and Europe, then this book would make an excellent addition to your reading list.
July 28, 2023
This is written like a season of a show on the history channel: filled with speculation and contrived cliffhangers that amount to nothing more than further unfounded speculation. If you are looking to be entertained, this is the book for you. If you are looking to learn about Harald Hardrada, you are going to have to slog through a lot of fluff to get the actual historical facts.
That said, I did learn a good amount about the life of Harald Hardrada and I haven't found any other books in English that do a good job of chronicling his life.
That said, I did learn a good amount about the life of Harald Hardrada and I haven't found any other books in English that do a good job of chronicling his life.
June 12, 2021
The story of the larger than life Harald III Hardrada - the last "great" Viking - " ... a man who outlived his aged .... once feared and hated but now admired ..."
If you have never read about Harald, then this is the book for you - accessible, well researched, covering all the exploits that most men of his own lifetime had trouble keeping up with. It does focus a lot on the military aspect of his life, but those looking for some of the personal may find some diamonds among the rough.
A worthy tome for the library shelves.
If you have never read about Harald, then this is the book for you - accessible, well researched, covering all the exploits that most men of his own lifetime had trouble keeping up with. It does focus a lot on the military aspect of his life, but those looking for some of the personal may find some diamonds among the rough.
A worthy tome for the library shelves.
June 1, 2021
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of Don Holloway's book, The Last Viking: The True Story of King Harald Hardrada and the End of the Norsemen.
I think that I come to this book from a perspective that Holloway's book doesn't anticipate: I study the history of the English language, so the military events of 1066 in England hold significant importance for the course of the history of the English language. Holloway doesn't indulge in pointless "what-ifs" regarding the Battle of Stamford Bridge, and I respect and appreciate that. The one question that I wish he would have addressed more explicitly was the issue of communication--what languages, exactly, was Harald Hadrada using as he served in the Varangian guard in Constantiople? Were all the Vikings speaking Old Norse of sufficient mutual intelligibility that they never encountered moments of misunderstanding?
But these are my questions, which are far outside of Holloway's intended purposes. Holloway presents himself as Harald's last biographer, but in the course of narrating Harald's extraordinary biography, which begins in Norway, and extends across the battlefields and royal courts of Scandinavia, what is now the Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Byzantium, the Levant, and finally ends upon a battlefield of northern England, he also tells the story of Harald's principal biographer--Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic chieftain and political leader who composed a history of the Kings of Norway as well as the best surviving guide to the poetry and mythology of medieval Scandinavia. Holloway treats his sources as respectfully as his subjects and provides a road-map for his readers to engage with sources from Iceland, Norway, England, Sicily, and Byzantium. While this is not an academic history, it is a conscientiously researched and well-written history for popular audiences.
Since King Harald was, before all else, a warrior, Holloway focuses a great deal more time on military engagements than he does on palace intrigue, although he does hint at Harald's desirability to powerful Byzantine women. Social history is comparatively absent, but Holloway does not pretend that he is going to offer it. As long as a reader is looking for political and military history, they will not be disappointed.
Holloway's book also demonstrates how faulty many popular ideas about the Middle Ages are. Holloway offers King Harald as a embodiment of the vast distances many medieval people, especially from Scandinavia, traveled and how engaged people from multiple cultural backgrounds were with one another. In the end, Holloway also explains clearly how, while King Harald failed to establish a transnational Empire, other Norsemen -- the Normans of France -- succeeded in building an empire with an enduring cultural impact.
I think that I come to this book from a perspective that Holloway's book doesn't anticipate: I study the history of the English language, so the military events of 1066 in England hold significant importance for the course of the history of the English language. Holloway doesn't indulge in pointless "what-ifs" regarding the Battle of Stamford Bridge, and I respect and appreciate that. The one question that I wish he would have addressed more explicitly was the issue of communication--what languages, exactly, was Harald Hadrada using as he served in the Varangian guard in Constantiople? Were all the Vikings speaking Old Norse of sufficient mutual intelligibility that they never encountered moments of misunderstanding?
But these are my questions, which are far outside of Holloway's intended purposes. Holloway presents himself as Harald's last biographer, but in the course of narrating Harald's extraordinary biography, which begins in Norway, and extends across the battlefields and royal courts of Scandinavia, what is now the Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Byzantium, the Levant, and finally ends upon a battlefield of northern England, he also tells the story of Harald's principal biographer--Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic chieftain and political leader who composed a history of the Kings of Norway as well as the best surviving guide to the poetry and mythology of medieval Scandinavia. Holloway treats his sources as respectfully as his subjects and provides a road-map for his readers to engage with sources from Iceland, Norway, England, Sicily, and Byzantium. While this is not an academic history, it is a conscientiously researched and well-written history for popular audiences.
Since King Harald was, before all else, a warrior, Holloway focuses a great deal more time on military engagements than he does on palace intrigue, although he does hint at Harald's desirability to powerful Byzantine women. Social history is comparatively absent, but Holloway does not pretend that he is going to offer it. As long as a reader is looking for political and military history, they will not be disappointed.
Holloway's book also demonstrates how faulty many popular ideas about the Middle Ages are. Holloway offers King Harald as a embodiment of the vast distances many medieval people, especially from Scandinavia, traveled and how engaged people from multiple cultural backgrounds were with one another. In the end, Holloway also explains clearly how, while King Harald failed to establish a transnational Empire, other Norsemen -- the Normans of France -- succeeded in building an empire with an enduring cultural impact.
March 31, 2022
Would give this book 3.75 stars if possible, really enjoyed the very start and acts 3/4, but really struggled with act 2.
Enjoyed learning more about Harald Hardrada.
Enjoyed learning more about Harald Hardrada.
January 25, 2024
Narrative history that reads like a fantasy adventure novel. This is the most compelling Viking history I've read, and that includes Frans Bengtsson.
June 11, 2023
"History is a fog, a fog of uncertainty. The deeper one peers into it, the murkier and more uncertain the fog becomes."
I knew of King Harald Hardada from 1066 and all that. 1066 is possibly the most famous date in English History, remembered for the Battle of Hastings. In school our history course began with 1066, we were told it was the last successful invasion of England (it wasn't!) after centuries of invasions from Romans, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Vikings and finally the Normans...
King Harald Hardrada fell in 1066 at Stamford Bridge persuaded by Tostig, Harold Godwinson's brother to invade England with his Norwegian army, it proved a step too far for the last great Viking. 1066 also marks the end of the Viking Age, the Viking dreams of empire having come to a bloody standtill after decades of infighting.
Harald's story has a broad geographic scope beginning in Norway and going south and east to Kiev and Byzantium. Serving as mercenaries for the Byzantine rulers, the Varangians (Vikings) were an elite group maybe akin to the Wagner group of today, striking fear into the Saracens, a century before the start of the Crusades. Harald also saw action in Sicily and visited Jerusalem before returning to take his Kingdom in Norway and battle with Svein and others. Turning into a tyrant, a warrior by nature, he wasn't one for a peaceful life, it was somewhat surprising that he made it into his fifties.
The book brings to life past times in an entertaining way. The writer draws a lot on the skalds (Viking poets) particularly Snorri, but even Harald was not shy of composing the odd poem or two.
October 24, 2021
This may be the best book I've read all year. Harald Sigurdsson, later known as Harald Hardrada, or "Hard Ruler, led a life that is the stuff of legends, and in this amazing biography, Holloway manages to both sift fact from the exaggerations of skalds and later writers and teach us a great deal about the 11th-century world of the Norse.
We start at the end, one the cusp of the battle of Stamford Bridge where King Harald meets his fate. From there, we rewind to another battle, this one the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, where a 15-year-old Harald accompanies his half-brother, the exiled Olaf II, in a bid to reclaim the throne of Norway. Just to make things even more fantastic, the battle is marked by an annular eclipse of the sun. Olaf is killed, and a wounded Harald is hidden with peasants.
From here we trace his voyage to the Kievan Rus, down the great rivers of Russia to Constantinople, which he take service with the Roman Emperor, his long time there, betrayal, his campaign to take his rightful throne, his long war with Denmark, and finally, the ill-fated expedition to England that ended the dreams of a restored North Sea Empire.
At every step, Hollway provides vivid descriptions of the places and people. We see medieval K
We start at the end, one the cusp of the battle of Stamford Bridge where King Harald meets his fate. From there, we rewind to another battle, this one the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, where a 15-year-old Harald accompanies his half-brother, the exiled Olaf II, in a bid to reclaim the throne of Norway. Just to make things even more fantastic, the battle is marked by an annular eclipse of the sun. Olaf is killed, and a wounded Harald is hidden with peasants.
From here we trace his voyage to the Kievan Rus, down the great rivers of Russia to Constantinople, which he take service with the Roman Emperor, his long time there, betrayal, his campaign to take his rightful throne, his long war with Denmark, and finally, the ill-fated expedition to England that ended the dreams of a restored North Sea Empire.
At every step, Hollway provides vivid descriptions of the places and people. We see medieval K
May 9, 2021
Great information on a Viking that gets very little recognition. The history of the Vikings has always fascinated me and this book just gave me more reasons to like the time period and group of people.
January 4, 2025
I recently finished "Vikings: Valhalla" on Netflix and was intrigued by the character of Harald Hardrada. Obviously the series took many liberties with events and timeline, but Hollway's book offers a fascinating and accessible history nonetheless.
December 11, 2024
(3.5/5)
"At the king’s bidding fires blazed in reprisal, and the roofs burning high compelled the poor farmers to rethink… All men yield to the warlord. There is no choice but to submit to the king." - Thjodolf Anorsson.
Having spent the last weekend straddling Sweden and Denmark for a friend’s wedding, and the preceding couple of weeks reading this book about the infamous King Harald III of Norway, I’ve been thinking a fair bit about Scandinavia recently. Although the modern welcoming Scandi culture is quite far removed from the harsh world of the 11th century. I imagine the subject of this book would be quite appalled.
Harald Sigurdsson, King of Norway, is better known by the epithet, “Hardrada“, or in English, Hard Ruler. Not that anyone ever called him that to his face. He is often relegated to a paragraph in British history books as the man who wore out the English army just a few weeks before William of Normandy became William the Conqueror at Hastings in 1066. But he is so much more interesting than that.
In this book, The Last Viking: The True Story of King Harald Hardrada, Don Hollway gives the king a well-earned biography, telling his fascinating life that stretches out long before 1066. From its beginnings as a refugee teenager wounded on the battlefield which killed his brother, to mercenary in service to the East Roman Emperor, to the returned prince that successfully reclaimed his birthright, to the brutal warlord who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
This “true” story is pieced together from the tales told about Harald in the sagas, as well as wider sources on the regions Harald went. The problem with telling a “true” story about Harald Hardrada is that there are gaping holes in the narrative which need filling. We know he went to Constantinople and served in the Varangian Guard – the elite Norse/Rus soldiers who formed a core part of the Byzantine Emperor’s army. We know he went on campaign for the Emperor. We don’t know a lot of the details.
Hollway gets around this by speculating. He speculates on whether Harald had a close relationship with the Empress Zoe, and if the woman called Maria he has an affair with at the imperial court is Maria Skleraina, the niece of Emperor Constantine IX. Both of these things – among others – are plausible, but take some mental gymnastics. At times it feels like Hollway wishes he was writing a historical fiction novel.
That said, the book is written in a compelling way that makes me want to believe the stories are true. It makes for a stronger narrative if Harald, cast into the east as teenager, catches Zoe’s eye. If he, as the sagas claim, personally deposed Emperor Michael V and blinded him. All this before he’s thirty. Maybe it’s rubbish history, but it’s a great story!
When the narrative returns to firmer footing on Harald’s return to Norway, the speculation continues, albeit to a lesser extent. We spend one single chapter on Harald’s actual rule (a period of about 15 years), which presumably is due to a lack of sources, and a lack of interesting content for the book.
If you’re wondering if Harald had any economic policies, or distinctive laws, you won’t find it here – but maybe you won’t find it anywhere?
All that is to say, this is not necessarily a good book of history. It is, however, a consistently entertaining read, and would make a great basis to be adapted into a historical fiction miniseries. One that is more tied down to reality than Vikings: Valhalla, the Netflix show which features a heavily fictionalised version of Harald.
Because for all his faults as a man and as a ruler, Harald Hardrada is never less than completely determined and sure of his place as a great person in history, and is one of the most interesting (and much maligned) figures of the past. For my money, he’s the most interesting contender for the English throne in 1066.
And not just because he went to Byzantium.
All right, maybe a bit.
"At the king’s bidding fires blazed in reprisal, and the roofs burning high compelled the poor farmers to rethink… All men yield to the warlord. There is no choice but to submit to the king." - Thjodolf Anorsson.
Having spent the last weekend straddling Sweden and Denmark for a friend’s wedding, and the preceding couple of weeks reading this book about the infamous King Harald III of Norway, I’ve been thinking a fair bit about Scandinavia recently. Although the modern welcoming Scandi culture is quite far removed from the harsh world of the 11th century. I imagine the subject of this book would be quite appalled.
Harald Sigurdsson, King of Norway, is better known by the epithet, “Hardrada“, or in English, Hard Ruler. Not that anyone ever called him that to his face. He is often relegated to a paragraph in British history books as the man who wore out the English army just a few weeks before William of Normandy became William the Conqueror at Hastings in 1066. But he is so much more interesting than that.
In this book, The Last Viking: The True Story of King Harald Hardrada, Don Hollway gives the king a well-earned biography, telling his fascinating life that stretches out long before 1066. From its beginnings as a refugee teenager wounded on the battlefield which killed his brother, to mercenary in service to the East Roman Emperor, to the returned prince that successfully reclaimed his birthright, to the brutal warlord who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
This “true” story is pieced together from the tales told about Harald in the sagas, as well as wider sources on the regions Harald went. The problem with telling a “true” story about Harald Hardrada is that there are gaping holes in the narrative which need filling. We know he went to Constantinople and served in the Varangian Guard – the elite Norse/Rus soldiers who formed a core part of the Byzantine Emperor’s army. We know he went on campaign for the Emperor. We don’t know a lot of the details.
Hollway gets around this by speculating. He speculates on whether Harald had a close relationship with the Empress Zoe, and if the woman called Maria he has an affair with at the imperial court is Maria Skleraina, the niece of Emperor Constantine IX. Both of these things – among others – are plausible, but take some mental gymnastics. At times it feels like Hollway wishes he was writing a historical fiction novel.
That said, the book is written in a compelling way that makes me want to believe the stories are true. It makes for a stronger narrative if Harald, cast into the east as teenager, catches Zoe’s eye. If he, as the sagas claim, personally deposed Emperor Michael V and blinded him. All this before he’s thirty. Maybe it’s rubbish history, but it’s a great story!
When the narrative returns to firmer footing on Harald’s return to Norway, the speculation continues, albeit to a lesser extent. We spend one single chapter on Harald’s actual rule (a period of about 15 years), which presumably is due to a lack of sources, and a lack of interesting content for the book.
If you’re wondering if Harald had any economic policies, or distinctive laws, you won’t find it here – but maybe you won’t find it anywhere?
All that is to say, this is not necessarily a good book of history. It is, however, a consistently entertaining read, and would make a great basis to be adapted into a historical fiction miniseries. One that is more tied down to reality than Vikings: Valhalla, the Netflix show which features a heavily fictionalised version of Harald.
Because for all his faults as a man and as a ruler, Harald Hardrada is never less than completely determined and sure of his place as a great person in history, and is one of the most interesting (and much maligned) figures of the past. For my money, he’s the most interesting contender for the English throne in 1066.
And not just because he went to Byzantium.
All right, maybe a bit.
August 24, 2021
In September 1066, before the Norman invasion, England is fighting to determine it’s future history, for it to be known as Anglo-Saxon or Viking. Leading the Vikings into this war is King Harald III Sigurdsson, also called Hardrada. The Last Viking is the biography of this mighty and renowned warrior of the 10th century.
REVIEW: In the resurgence of interest in Vikings, courtesy of the Netflix programme, The Last Kingdom and Amazon Primes’ Vikings, interest in these unique people has risen. But for the most part, what we know, is based on the oral legends of skalds. The written history of Vikings occurred some 200 years after the events. One such historian is Snorri Sturlson, who, it’s believed drew on the records found in the ‘Moldy Parchment’ (Morkinskinna) and the ‘Fair Parchment’ (Fargskinna) to write his own historical literature.
Using the works of Snorri and many other reference works, the list of reference works is over several pages long, Hollway has been able to write a detailed biography of the Last Viking, Harald. From his first battle as a young warrior all the way through to his last, you are enthralled by this giant of Norse history. You follow Harald all the way to Novgorod and his entry into the service of the Kievan Rus’ king, Yaroslav. Here he learned a new type of warfare, the blockade. Slowly starving the defenders, Harald learned the lesson of patience in warfare, while making a name for himself amongst the Rus.
From the Kievan Rus to the Nova Roma, the new Rome, to Constantinople. Here we find Harald as part of the Varangian Guard. Here we get to see what a Northmen thought of this magnificent city and all it had to offer. And while Harald is here, we learn of the fate of this magnificent city of the past. After nearly a decade Harald returns to the court of the Keivan Rus and here takes a bride. Not long after he returns to Norway and climbs to the throne.
But the tale of this warrior poet isn’t over. He soon turns his attention to England and the spoils it has to offer, and his claim to the throne. Harald’s saga ends with his death at Stamford Bridge, but his deeds live on through Hollway’s biography of King Harald Hardrada, The Last Viking
VERDICT: 4****/5 A rich telling of the saga, of the Last Viking, King Harald. All the research and legends woven into a history book that reads like a novel. An outstanding reference work for all Viking buffs and historians alike.
The review will be posted to my blog, The Word Whisperer, from the 24/08/21. It will also be posted to my Instragram: the_wordwhisperer; Facebook: @WordWhisper and Twitter: @TheWordWhisperer1, accounts
https://www.thewordwhisperer.online/p...
REVIEW: In the resurgence of interest in Vikings, courtesy of the Netflix programme, The Last Kingdom and Amazon Primes’ Vikings, interest in these unique people has risen. But for the most part, what we know, is based on the oral legends of skalds. The written history of Vikings occurred some 200 years after the events. One such historian is Snorri Sturlson, who, it’s believed drew on the records found in the ‘Moldy Parchment’ (Morkinskinna) and the ‘Fair Parchment’ (Fargskinna) to write his own historical literature.
Using the works of Snorri and many other reference works, the list of reference works is over several pages long, Hollway has been able to write a detailed biography of the Last Viking, Harald. From his first battle as a young warrior all the way through to his last, you are enthralled by this giant of Norse history. You follow Harald all the way to Novgorod and his entry into the service of the Kievan Rus’ king, Yaroslav. Here he learned a new type of warfare, the blockade. Slowly starving the defenders, Harald learned the lesson of patience in warfare, while making a name for himself amongst the Rus.
From the Kievan Rus to the Nova Roma, the new Rome, to Constantinople. Here we find Harald as part of the Varangian Guard. Here we get to see what a Northmen thought of this magnificent city and all it had to offer. And while Harald is here, we learn of the fate of this magnificent city of the past. After nearly a decade Harald returns to the court of the Keivan Rus and here takes a bride. Not long after he returns to Norway and climbs to the throne.
But the tale of this warrior poet isn’t over. He soon turns his attention to England and the spoils it has to offer, and his claim to the throne. Harald’s saga ends with his death at Stamford Bridge, but his deeds live on through Hollway’s biography of King Harald Hardrada, The Last Viking
VERDICT: 4****/5 A rich telling of the saga, of the Last Viking, King Harald. All the research and legends woven into a history book that reads like a novel. An outstanding reference work for all Viking buffs and historians alike.
The review will be posted to my blog, The Word Whisperer, from the 24/08/21. It will also be posted to my Instragram: the_wordwhisperer; Facebook: @WordWhisper and Twitter: @TheWordWhisperer1, accounts
https://www.thewordwhisperer.online/p...
June 26, 2022
I only figured out the right way to read this book about halfway through. I was reading it as narrative non-fiction when I should have been reading it as a panegyric. The author after all explicitly says that he wants to be a skald (poet) for Harald.
That being said, Harald has a very fascinating life. The half brother of Saint Olaf of Norway, Harald fled a battle where Saint Olaf was killed (his enemies immediately felt regret, as Olaf's blood healed his killer's wounds), first to Kiev, and then to Constantinople. There, Harald rose in the Varangian Guards, campaigning for the Empire in Sicily against the muslims (where the Normans, originally mercenaries for the Empire turned on the Empire allegedly over a horse, settling up a Norman empire there), burnt Bulgars in their wooden walled forts, and may have had a hand in Byzantine Imperial politics itself. Harald is eventually likely locked up, potentially on spying charges when the Prince of Kiev attempts to sack Constantinople. Harald escapes due to the intervention of his brother, who appears in a woman's dream asking her to let him out of prison. Harald makes a dashing escape, rocking the ship back and forth so that it could slide over the great chain guarding the harbor. Harald returns wealthy, from his time in the guard, then marries the daughter of the Prince of Kiev. He joins with the king of Denmark in attacking Olaf's son (Magnus the Good), the king of Norway. Then, after being offered the kingdom if Magnus died without heirs, Harald turns on his ally. When Magnus dies without heirs, Harald finally claims the Norwegian crown, and spends sometime fighting the king of Denmark to a stalemate (but burning a major trading town Hedeby to the ground). Harald becomes a bit of a jerk, betraying some nobles he said he let bygones be bygones, forcing a boy who had dodged the draft to ski off a cliff (but he survives, apparently due to St. Olaf's cloth given to him by a sympathetic warrior), marries again into his brother's enemies family, and raids his own people (who refused to pay taxes to him). At this point, the King of England's half brother Tostig (a man who seemed to basically be a pirate-raider) came to Harald asking for aid. This leads to Harald's invasion of England, where he easily took York. But letting his guard down, Harald went to negotiate with York over hostages, and King Harold of England fast marched his men from the south, catching Harald off guard. Tostig parlays with a mysterious man, who promises Tostig half the kingdom but Harald only "seven feet" of land (Harald was nearly that tall). Tostig refuses, citing his word to Harald. When Tostig returns, he reveals that the man was King Harold himself, but did not betray him out of honor. Then began the battle of Stamford bridge, where one unnamed viking almost held the bridge by himself, but Harald's luck ran out when he was identified by the boy dodger. King Harold of England had little time to enjoy his upset because he would be soon defeated by William of Normandy at the Battle of the Hastings.
Particularly fun was the use of poetry during Harald's time. Harald was supposed to have been a great poet himself, convincing his brother to let him fight as a teenager by dropping a great battle poem (Harald also seemed pretty cunning, once asking to throw lots based on marked sticks, only to copy the mark and throw away the second stick, claiming marked stick was is). Harald also loved the poets himself. Seeing his favorite admire an ax of his, Harald asked the poet if he would exchange sexual favors for the weapon (considered an insult). The poet replied that it was only right that Harald offered the ax on the terms for which Harald got it. Harald's wife was not amused, to which the poet responded that the queen was worthy of receiving Harald's weapon, a somewhat unanswerable "compliment."
The author's interest in ancient battles really shows. It was interesting to see him explain the various battle formations (the triangular boar snout formation, the enveloping by ship fighting, Greek fire, but he does get cheesy sometimes). It was impressive to see him weave different sources, from Byzantine chronicles to Arabic sources to Anglo-Saxon chronicles to Icelandic sagas (mostly written by the Icelander chiefman Snorri, who was trying to explain the island's Norwegian past, but ended up getting killed for political reasons).
A major weakness is that the author seems to get really carried way with his evaluation of his sources. He does not really question them or compare them (though he discusses when versions have different stories). In particular, the author is insistent that Harald had some kind of torrid love affair with Empress Zoe. The only story he cites is a saga that claims that Harald asked for a lock of her pubic hair in response to her asking for a lock of his hair. The Byzantine section of the book was in my opinion the worst because the author was trying so hard to weave this Zoe-Harald romance (including at one point speculating that Zoe could have traveled to the holy land when Harald was sent to guard it). In fact, it got so bad that I really started to doubt the author's accuracy in other non-Zoe aspects of the book. It seems more likely to me that the sagas, to improve Harald's reputation claimed that he had a dalliance with Zoe. But the author never explains the Byzantine records of Harald's promotions in the guard for example, so I have no idea if the sagas were just telling tall tales or Harald was an important imperial player. I really enjoyed the other parts of the book, and wish that the author focused more on the confused situation in England (recently part of Cnut's Northern Sea Empire, but then spawning various claims, including Magus's own claim from Cnut's son).
Overall, the book has a fascinating subject and I learned a lot. Harald's life shows how interconnected Europe (from England to the Byzantines) was, which is fascinating. I'm a bit disappointed because I felt like the book could have been so much more, but it is overall a good read if taken with a grain of salt.
That being said, Harald has a very fascinating life. The half brother of Saint Olaf of Norway, Harald fled a battle where Saint Olaf was killed (his enemies immediately felt regret, as Olaf's blood healed his killer's wounds), first to Kiev, and then to Constantinople. There, Harald rose in the Varangian Guards, campaigning for the Empire in Sicily against the muslims (where the Normans, originally mercenaries for the Empire turned on the Empire allegedly over a horse, settling up a Norman empire there), burnt Bulgars in their wooden walled forts, and may have had a hand in Byzantine Imperial politics itself. Harald is eventually likely locked up, potentially on spying charges when the Prince of Kiev attempts to sack Constantinople. Harald escapes due to the intervention of his brother, who appears in a woman's dream asking her to let him out of prison. Harald makes a dashing escape, rocking the ship back and forth so that it could slide over the great chain guarding the harbor. Harald returns wealthy, from his time in the guard, then marries the daughter of the Prince of Kiev. He joins with the king of Denmark in attacking Olaf's son (Magnus the Good), the king of Norway. Then, after being offered the kingdom if Magnus died without heirs, Harald turns on his ally. When Magnus dies without heirs, Harald finally claims the Norwegian crown, and spends sometime fighting the king of Denmark to a stalemate (but burning a major trading town Hedeby to the ground). Harald becomes a bit of a jerk, betraying some nobles he said he let bygones be bygones, forcing a boy who had dodged the draft to ski off a cliff (but he survives, apparently due to St. Olaf's cloth given to him by a sympathetic warrior), marries again into his brother's enemies family, and raids his own people (who refused to pay taxes to him). At this point, the King of England's half brother Tostig (a man who seemed to basically be a pirate-raider) came to Harald asking for aid. This leads to Harald's invasion of England, where he easily took York. But letting his guard down, Harald went to negotiate with York over hostages, and King Harold of England fast marched his men from the south, catching Harald off guard. Tostig parlays with a mysterious man, who promises Tostig half the kingdom but Harald only "seven feet" of land (Harald was nearly that tall). Tostig refuses, citing his word to Harald. When Tostig returns, he reveals that the man was King Harold himself, but did not betray him out of honor. Then began the battle of Stamford bridge, where one unnamed viking almost held the bridge by himself, but Harald's luck ran out when he was identified by the boy dodger. King Harold of England had little time to enjoy his upset because he would be soon defeated by William of Normandy at the Battle of the Hastings.
Particularly fun was the use of poetry during Harald's time. Harald was supposed to have been a great poet himself, convincing his brother to let him fight as a teenager by dropping a great battle poem (Harald also seemed pretty cunning, once asking to throw lots based on marked sticks, only to copy the mark and throw away the second stick, claiming marked stick was is). Harald also loved the poets himself. Seeing his favorite admire an ax of his, Harald asked the poet if he would exchange sexual favors for the weapon (considered an insult). The poet replied that it was only right that Harald offered the ax on the terms for which Harald got it. Harald's wife was not amused, to which the poet responded that the queen was worthy of receiving Harald's weapon, a somewhat unanswerable "compliment."
The author's interest in ancient battles really shows. It was interesting to see him explain the various battle formations (the triangular boar snout formation, the enveloping by ship fighting, Greek fire, but he does get cheesy sometimes). It was impressive to see him weave different sources, from Byzantine chronicles to Arabic sources to Anglo-Saxon chronicles to Icelandic sagas (mostly written by the Icelander chiefman Snorri, who was trying to explain the island's Norwegian past, but ended up getting killed for political reasons).
A major weakness is that the author seems to get really carried way with his evaluation of his sources. He does not really question them or compare them (though he discusses when versions have different stories). In particular, the author is insistent that Harald had some kind of torrid love affair with Empress Zoe. The only story he cites is a saga that claims that Harald asked for a lock of her pubic hair in response to her asking for a lock of his hair. The Byzantine section of the book was in my opinion the worst because the author was trying so hard to weave this Zoe-Harald romance (including at one point speculating that Zoe could have traveled to the holy land when Harald was sent to guard it). In fact, it got so bad that I really started to doubt the author's accuracy in other non-Zoe aspects of the book. It seems more likely to me that the sagas, to improve Harald's reputation claimed that he had a dalliance with Zoe. But the author never explains the Byzantine records of Harald's promotions in the guard for example, so I have no idea if the sagas were just telling tall tales or Harald was an important imperial player. I really enjoyed the other parts of the book, and wish that the author focused more on the confused situation in England (recently part of Cnut's Northern Sea Empire, but then spawning various claims, including Magus's own claim from Cnut's son).
Overall, the book has a fascinating subject and I learned a lot. Harald's life shows how interconnected Europe (from England to the Byzantines) was, which is fascinating. I'm a bit disappointed because I felt like the book could have been so much more, but it is overall a good read if taken with a grain of salt.
December 18, 2025
Great historical narrative of an influential figure. Hollway uses a combination of historical sources and dramatized dialogue and exposition to weave together this history of Harald Hardrada's life. He cleverly sets the scene for the battle of Stamford Bridge in England, 1066, before winding the clock back to Harald's youth. The book follows Harald as he makes his way down the Volga and ultimately to Constantinople, becomes embroiled in the imperial court, and attempts to conquer parts of Sweden and Denmark from his seat in Norway, before finally embarking on his expedition to conquer England. The Last Viking is an excellent read for anyone interested in the early medieval period of Northern Europe or the Byzantine period.
April 6, 2025
This was a really fascinating book. Harald Hardrada is probably best known for the battle he died at against Harold Godwinson in England shortly before Harold was conquered by the Normans, led by William the Conqueror. However, he led a very interesting life prior to this, surviving a battle as a teenager, where his older brother, King Olaf, was killed, and traveling through Russia and living in Constantinople, serving the Byzantine Empire. Really quite the story, and told in a very literary style. I definitely recommend.
April 16, 2025
So. Much. Speculation. There's some genuinely interesting stuff in here, which is why I gave it three stars, but it's tough to sort that out from the fluff. To be fair, Hollway does say in the introduction that the book is intended to be "a melding, comparison, and recounting of the old tales", so I suppose one must expect that he's going to lean very highly on the sagas, and it is fun to read. Just be prepared to take quite a bit of it with a grain or two or salt.
May 25, 2025
I finally finished this book! I don’t normally read history books, but I’m writing a Viking-inspired fantasy novel and wanted to get some inspiration from this book. Although it is a history book, it reads like an adventure epic. Don Hollway is a master words craftsman, and his storytelling reminds me of the skalds of old! I also like that he painted King Harald in a positive light, but didn’t hide the man’s faults.
January 25, 2025
A very entertaining account of the life of Harald Hardrada- how much of this actually happened we'll probably never know. But pieced together from accounts which were mostly written many years after his death. This global spanning book delivers a great story at the very least.
October 30, 2023
Something about this one just didn’t click. I wasn’t jiving with the writing style, and while Harald had a interesting life, it just wasn’t speaking to me.
July 16, 2023
3.5
Prior to reading this book, my only knowledge of Harald was as a footnote. The guy who wasted the strength of the English army before the more important Battle of Hastings. However, it turns out he was quite the fascinating character with an interesting life.
I enjoyed the book, but be forewarned that it does read like a history book. If you are not interested in the specific time period, in general, or Vikings, in particular, you'd be better off passing.
Prior to reading this book, my only knowledge of Harald was as a footnote. The guy who wasted the strength of the English army before the more important Battle of Hastings. However, it turns out he was quite the fascinating character with an interesting life.
I enjoyed the book, but be forewarned that it does read like a history book. If you are not interested in the specific time period, in general, or Vikings, in particular, you'd be better off passing.
November 12, 2021
The Last Viking, The True Story of King Harald Hardrada
Don Hollway, 2021
Unless you have some interest in Norse history, you probably never heard of King Harald Hardrada, yet he was a larger-than-life character who ultimately had a profound influence over the history of England. Most people aren’t cognizant of the wide-ranging exploits and settlements of these people of the far north. The people of Sweden called the Rus, after which Russia is named, ranged down the Volga and Dnieper rivers deep into the interior of East Asia establishing the cities of Novgorod, Volgograd, and Kiev. Danes and Norwegians raided all across Europe and settled Iceland, conquered all of England and established cities in Northern England such as York and across northern France in the province of Normandy.
The year is 1030, Harald is fifteen years old, apparently an imposing figure even at that age, and is accompanying his older half-brother Olaf at the head of an army to reclaim the Olaf’s crown of Norway from the Danish and English King Knut. At the town of Stiklestad they met an army of peasants led a so-called great chieftain Kalf Arneson. Olaf used a tactic called the “Boars Snout” which is a wedge of heavily armored men slamming into the shield wall of an opponent in order to breach the line. “The great wedge cleaved the line of the peasant army like a headsman’s axe through the neck of the condemned. So overwhelming was the charge that the far side of the field…. Having weathered the initial attack, Kalf, Thorir the Hound, Harek and their men stood firm… the Boars Snout was strong in attack, but vulnerable in defense. If its initial impact did not drive the defenders from the field, they remained on both sides of the wedge, perfectly positioned to achieve the holy grail of ancient warfare: the double envelopment.” Olaf is killed in the battle and Harald, badly wounded. barely escapes with his life. After his escape, Harald with a contingent of 500 survivors, heads into exile, to prince Yaroslav’s Norse kingdom of Kiev.’
In a book about Vikings, you would not expect that over half the book is concerned with the Byzantium empire but that is where Harold goes to make his fortune as a paid mercenary in the Emperor’s elite Varangrian guard. Apparently, Harald with his almost 7-foot stature mightily impressed the emperor as within a year becomes the head of the guard. Akin to special forces, the Varangrian guard, numbering about 7000 men, not only protected the emperor like a Praetorian guard but fought in the vanguard of his battles against Arabs, dissidents and bordering hostile tribes. Norsemen were highly valued by the empire for their fearsome combat abilities both on land and on sea. The main battle weapon of the Norsemen was the battle axe, a large single bladed weapon on a 6-foot shaft. When swung in a 12 foot arc, it was capable of breaching armor and decapitating an opponent with one swing. They were also skilled boatmen, with battle honed skills in naval combat. At that time the imperial navy had a secret weapon called Greek fire, a kind of sticky napalm launched from a pressurized device at the bow which when sprayed on enemy boats would turn them into blazing infernos and would fry crew in their armor suits. The book covers in detail a number of epic naval battles against Saracen pirates as well as the invasion of Sicily to displace the then Arab rulers.
Harald also apparently impressed the Empress Zoe to whom he became a romantic consort as well as guardian protector. The fact that Harald could successfully navigate the treacherous byzantine palace politics of Constantinople, survive a succession of Emperors over a period of 9 years speaks well to his ability to choose his political insider allies well and one was none other than empress Zoe. Zoe poisoned her first emperor husband and became empress to 2 succeeding emperors all the while with Harald at her back. Sooner or later an emperor would gain the throne who viewed Harald as a political threat and after 9 years he was forced to flee back to Kiev and then back to Norway, shortly thereafter becomes, King of Norway when King Magnus, Harald’s nephew unexpectedly dies.
The history of Norway and Denmark is a history of merging of kingdoms, alliances, and wars. During Harald’s rule over Norway was a period of war when for 18 years Harald vies for domination of Denmark against the Danish king Svein Ulfsson. Unsuccessful in this bloody and useless endeavor, Harald makes what is to be a last fateful error in agreeing to try to regain England from the Saxons in the year 1066. This is whereby all accounts Harald likely changed the history of England.
England was ruled at that time by king Harold II. Harold at that time was vying for a contested throne against William of Normandy. Expecting an invasion by sea although uncertain of the timing, he was informed that 200 miles to the north the Vikings had reinvaded around the city of York. After a forced march of 4 days, he met Harald at the battle of Stamford bridge. Not expecting a counterattack so soon, Harald was caught with his forces divided and after a fierce and bloody battle was defeated and loses his life. Harold II, his forces spent, apparently half decimated by the battle, hears William has just invaded from the south, mounts another forced march to the south, arrives at the battle of Hastings with an exhausted army, a shadow of its former self, loses the battle to the Normans and English history is changed forever.
A lot of the history of Norway from the 11th century comes to us from the Skalds who were like poet troubadours recording the history and great heroic events of the day in verse so a lot of we know of Harald is not entirely certain. As the author, Don Holloway, concludes: “He was in many ways a man who outlived his age, and more than any other a man who put an end to that age. Almost three centuries of Norse conquest, expansion and colonization ended in 18 years of vicious infighting between Scandinavians, largely at Harald’s instigation, and suffered its final setback in his defeat at Stamford Bridge. With that in mind, it is appropriate to call Harald Hardrada the Last Viking – the last of those wild reavers who marched down out of the cold and windy North, once feared and hated, but now often viewed, even admired with romantic nostalgia. Times change. As in Byzantium a millennium past, men who were once called heroes are cast down and called villains, while scoundrels are held up to acclaim, all according to the narrative of the day. The hindsight of a thousand years offers little clarity, when none but the dead know the ultimate truth. Who can say what our descendants a millennium hence will make of us? The study of the past really is like peering into a dense fog.”
This book is a real page turner, once started it’s hard to put down, interesting because it encompasses not only Scandinavian history, English history but also unexpectedly gives a really detailed look and insight into the political intrigues, the battles of 11th century Byzantium. I recommend. JACK
Don Hollway, 2021
Unless you have some interest in Norse history, you probably never heard of King Harald Hardrada, yet he was a larger-than-life character who ultimately had a profound influence over the history of England. Most people aren’t cognizant of the wide-ranging exploits and settlements of these people of the far north. The people of Sweden called the Rus, after which Russia is named, ranged down the Volga and Dnieper rivers deep into the interior of East Asia establishing the cities of Novgorod, Volgograd, and Kiev. Danes and Norwegians raided all across Europe and settled Iceland, conquered all of England and established cities in Northern England such as York and across northern France in the province of Normandy.
The year is 1030, Harald is fifteen years old, apparently an imposing figure even at that age, and is accompanying his older half-brother Olaf at the head of an army to reclaim the Olaf’s crown of Norway from the Danish and English King Knut. At the town of Stiklestad they met an army of peasants led a so-called great chieftain Kalf Arneson. Olaf used a tactic called the “Boars Snout” which is a wedge of heavily armored men slamming into the shield wall of an opponent in order to breach the line. “The great wedge cleaved the line of the peasant army like a headsman’s axe through the neck of the condemned. So overwhelming was the charge that the far side of the field…. Having weathered the initial attack, Kalf, Thorir the Hound, Harek and their men stood firm… the Boars Snout was strong in attack, but vulnerable in defense. If its initial impact did not drive the defenders from the field, they remained on both sides of the wedge, perfectly positioned to achieve the holy grail of ancient warfare: the double envelopment.” Olaf is killed in the battle and Harald, badly wounded. barely escapes with his life. After his escape, Harald with a contingent of 500 survivors, heads into exile, to prince Yaroslav’s Norse kingdom of Kiev.’
In a book about Vikings, you would not expect that over half the book is concerned with the Byzantium empire but that is where Harold goes to make his fortune as a paid mercenary in the Emperor’s elite Varangrian guard. Apparently, Harald with his almost 7-foot stature mightily impressed the emperor as within a year becomes the head of the guard. Akin to special forces, the Varangrian guard, numbering about 7000 men, not only protected the emperor like a Praetorian guard but fought in the vanguard of his battles against Arabs, dissidents and bordering hostile tribes. Norsemen were highly valued by the empire for their fearsome combat abilities both on land and on sea. The main battle weapon of the Norsemen was the battle axe, a large single bladed weapon on a 6-foot shaft. When swung in a 12 foot arc, it was capable of breaching armor and decapitating an opponent with one swing. They were also skilled boatmen, with battle honed skills in naval combat. At that time the imperial navy had a secret weapon called Greek fire, a kind of sticky napalm launched from a pressurized device at the bow which when sprayed on enemy boats would turn them into blazing infernos and would fry crew in their armor suits. The book covers in detail a number of epic naval battles against Saracen pirates as well as the invasion of Sicily to displace the then Arab rulers.
Harald also apparently impressed the Empress Zoe to whom he became a romantic consort as well as guardian protector. The fact that Harald could successfully navigate the treacherous byzantine palace politics of Constantinople, survive a succession of Emperors over a period of 9 years speaks well to his ability to choose his political insider allies well and one was none other than empress Zoe. Zoe poisoned her first emperor husband and became empress to 2 succeeding emperors all the while with Harald at her back. Sooner or later an emperor would gain the throne who viewed Harald as a political threat and after 9 years he was forced to flee back to Kiev and then back to Norway, shortly thereafter becomes, King of Norway when King Magnus, Harald’s nephew unexpectedly dies.
The history of Norway and Denmark is a history of merging of kingdoms, alliances, and wars. During Harald’s rule over Norway was a period of war when for 18 years Harald vies for domination of Denmark against the Danish king Svein Ulfsson. Unsuccessful in this bloody and useless endeavor, Harald makes what is to be a last fateful error in agreeing to try to regain England from the Saxons in the year 1066. This is whereby all accounts Harald likely changed the history of England.
England was ruled at that time by king Harold II. Harold at that time was vying for a contested throne against William of Normandy. Expecting an invasion by sea although uncertain of the timing, he was informed that 200 miles to the north the Vikings had reinvaded around the city of York. After a forced march of 4 days, he met Harald at the battle of Stamford bridge. Not expecting a counterattack so soon, Harald was caught with his forces divided and after a fierce and bloody battle was defeated and loses his life. Harold II, his forces spent, apparently half decimated by the battle, hears William has just invaded from the south, mounts another forced march to the south, arrives at the battle of Hastings with an exhausted army, a shadow of its former self, loses the battle to the Normans and English history is changed forever.
A lot of the history of Norway from the 11th century comes to us from the Skalds who were like poet troubadours recording the history and great heroic events of the day in verse so a lot of we know of Harald is not entirely certain. As the author, Don Holloway, concludes: “He was in many ways a man who outlived his age, and more than any other a man who put an end to that age. Almost three centuries of Norse conquest, expansion and colonization ended in 18 years of vicious infighting between Scandinavians, largely at Harald’s instigation, and suffered its final setback in his defeat at Stamford Bridge. With that in mind, it is appropriate to call Harald Hardrada the Last Viking – the last of those wild reavers who marched down out of the cold and windy North, once feared and hated, but now often viewed, even admired with romantic nostalgia. Times change. As in Byzantium a millennium past, men who were once called heroes are cast down and called villains, while scoundrels are held up to acclaim, all according to the narrative of the day. The hindsight of a thousand years offers little clarity, when none but the dead know the ultimate truth. Who can say what our descendants a millennium hence will make of us? The study of the past really is like peering into a dense fog.”
This book is a real page turner, once started it’s hard to put down, interesting because it encompasses not only Scandinavian history, English history but also unexpectedly gives a really detailed look and insight into the political intrigues, the battles of 11th century Byzantium. I recommend. JACK
August 10, 2021
I came to this book having only watched some shows on the Vikings, and the partially fictional series the Last Kingdom on Netflix (in other words, without much knowledge of the time period). This is a real historical figure worthy of an adaptation, because it is hard to fathom all that happened to Harald Hardrada, and all that he accomplished, happening in just 51 years of life. From Norway, to Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire, to England, Harald traveled and battled for much of his life. This book highlights the action, adventure, and political intrigue that Harald experienced as if you, as the reader, are standing there with him. The author is careful to point out where historical sources differ in their re-telling of events, and to point out what is only an educated guess rather than confirmed historical fact which I really appreciated. Overall, I thought this was a great book especially for readers like myself who are not already familiar with the time period. Because it reads like an adventure, I think this book would be a good foray into history/biography for readers who typically don't pick up books like that.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2023
I’m willing to bet that Don Hollway has a replica Viking helm that he occasionally puts on. Or, if not, he looks at ones in the museum and imagines wearing one. Or, at least, he has a dog named for Snorri Sturluson.
This is a strange book. It’s putatively a modern history, something written by a contemporary scholar with access to recent archeological findings and developments in historiography. At the same time, it leans so heavily on saga of a millennium ago that it feels as if it wants to be saga itself.
It’s a conceptual mess, but I like it. Somehow, it works.
For starters, this is a rollicking story. Harold Hardrada lived an epic life. Perhaps like most people, I’ve thought of Vikings as marauders from the hinterlands – barbarians without culture preying on the comfortable and then leaving them in lamentation.
It turns out, though – and I have read other books recently that point to the same phenomenon – that the Vikings were very much connected to the leading civilizations of their era.
Harold’s story begins in properly epic fashion when he’s 14. He goes to battle with his older brother King Olaf – later known as St. Olaf – and their army is routed, with Olaf killed. Harold limps away and makes it back to what’s left of his Norwegian kingdom. He goes into exile, first to serve in the growing kingdom of Rus and then eventually to Byzantium.
There, in the cultural capital of the world, he builds a political base and puts away a fortune in gold. He becomes a captain in the Varangian guard (always comprised of foreigners to the Byzantine Empire) and, supposedly, romances the Empress. It’s all larger than life, including his dramatic change in fortune when he’s imprisoned, threatened with blindness or castration (or both) and then escapes. He wins one battle when, putting out the word that he’d died, he had himself carried into the city he was besieging in a coffin. He escapes in a ship through the harbor at Constantinople – a harbor blocked with a massive chain – by having his party rush to the back of the boat to raise its bow and then rush to the front to lower the bow and raise the stern to make it across the chain.
Then, as Hollway tells us both at the start and the end, he rushes toward his climactic end in the battle from which I knew him – his defeat at the hands of Harold Godwinson, last English king of England. In one of the great bad-ass taunts of all time, Godwinson answers his challenge for the kingship with the promise that he will offer him only six feet of English soil, or perhaps seven as he is very tall.
(Godwinson, by the way, comes through as an impressive guy. If he hadn’t had to fight back-to-back battles against Hardrada and then William the Conqueror, you get the sense world history would have been quite different.)
I’ve summarized what makes this so much fun. It has the energy of saga, sometimes even the over-the-top language of it. Hollway treats the near-contemporary sources – near contemporary in that Snorri, the saga’s author, learned much of the story second-hand from his grandfather, who fought alongside Harold throughout his Byzantine adventures – as full-blown history.
At times, that impulse makes me laugh. He takes seriously details of the saga that seem, to me at least, clear hyperbole. He wonders, for instance, whether Harold himself blinded an emperor. He also considers it as evidence of good health when the sagas don’t mention an injury.
In other words, he reads saga as a source in ways I can’t imagine as fully legitimate.
On the other hand, though, he avoids the trap of contemporary history that often leads to something dry. I like a good revisionist history, one that brings all the sources together and admits to a degree of uncertainty, but this is certainly more fun. This, if you’re a Tolkien-head, is the source of the legends that had Aragorn (really a hick warrior from the north) rise to leadership as a young man beside a young Denethor in the golden city of Minas Tirith.
And this remains good history. Hollway talks about archeological discoveries that shed light on what we know, and he introduces theories that contradict and enrich the story he’s telling. He knows his stuff even if it seems he’d rather be writing saga.
And possibly, maybe when no one is looking, putting on that old Viking helm.
This is a strange book. It’s putatively a modern history, something written by a contemporary scholar with access to recent archeological findings and developments in historiography. At the same time, it leans so heavily on saga of a millennium ago that it feels as if it wants to be saga itself.
It’s a conceptual mess, but I like it. Somehow, it works.
For starters, this is a rollicking story. Harold Hardrada lived an epic life. Perhaps like most people, I’ve thought of Vikings as marauders from the hinterlands – barbarians without culture preying on the comfortable and then leaving them in lamentation.
It turns out, though – and I have read other books recently that point to the same phenomenon – that the Vikings were very much connected to the leading civilizations of their era.
Harold’s story begins in properly epic fashion when he’s 14. He goes to battle with his older brother King Olaf – later known as St. Olaf – and their army is routed, with Olaf killed. Harold limps away and makes it back to what’s left of his Norwegian kingdom. He goes into exile, first to serve in the growing kingdom of Rus and then eventually to Byzantium.
There, in the cultural capital of the world, he builds a political base and puts away a fortune in gold. He becomes a captain in the Varangian guard (always comprised of foreigners to the Byzantine Empire) and, supposedly, romances the Empress. It’s all larger than life, including his dramatic change in fortune when he’s imprisoned, threatened with blindness or castration (or both) and then escapes. He wins one battle when, putting out the word that he’d died, he had himself carried into the city he was besieging in a coffin. He escapes in a ship through the harbor at Constantinople – a harbor blocked with a massive chain – by having his party rush to the back of the boat to raise its bow and then rush to the front to lower the bow and raise the stern to make it across the chain.
Then, as Hollway tells us both at the start and the end, he rushes toward his climactic end in the battle from which I knew him – his defeat at the hands of Harold Godwinson, last English king of England. In one of the great bad-ass taunts of all time, Godwinson answers his challenge for the kingship with the promise that he will offer him only six feet of English soil, or perhaps seven as he is very tall.
(Godwinson, by the way, comes through as an impressive guy. If he hadn’t had to fight back-to-back battles against Hardrada and then William the Conqueror, you get the sense world history would have been quite different.)
I’ve summarized what makes this so much fun. It has the energy of saga, sometimes even the over-the-top language of it. Hollway treats the near-contemporary sources – near contemporary in that Snorri, the saga’s author, learned much of the story second-hand from his grandfather, who fought alongside Harold throughout his Byzantine adventures – as full-blown history.
At times, that impulse makes me laugh. He takes seriously details of the saga that seem, to me at least, clear hyperbole. He wonders, for instance, whether Harold himself blinded an emperor. He also considers it as evidence of good health when the sagas don’t mention an injury.
In other words, he reads saga as a source in ways I can’t imagine as fully legitimate.
On the other hand, though, he avoids the trap of contemporary history that often leads to something dry. I like a good revisionist history, one that brings all the sources together and admits to a degree of uncertainty, but this is certainly more fun. This, if you’re a Tolkien-head, is the source of the legends that had Aragorn (really a hick warrior from the north) rise to leadership as a young man beside a young Denethor in the golden city of Minas Tirith.
And this remains good history. Hollway talks about archeological discoveries that shed light on what we know, and he introduces theories that contradict and enrich the story he’s telling. He knows his stuff even if it seems he’d rather be writing saga.
And possibly, maybe when no one is looking, putting on that old Viking helm.
October 12, 2024
# The Last Viking
---
## The Book in 1 Sentence
A book that reminds me of SPQR A History of Ancient Rome (https://boydsbar.xyz/s-p-q-r/ due to its heavy instructional feel of the language presented in the book.
## Brief Review
This book was nowhere near as interesting as I thought it was going to be. There is a heavy reliance on dates and people that override the narrative that I think was meant to be told. While Harold led an intriguing life, it is lost in the multitudes of historical details.
## Why I Read this book
I saw [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY0nL...) randomly while searching for something else and thought it would be a good read.
## In-Depth Review (Favorite Quotes)
Look. I am not sure what else to say about this book that wasn't above. Harold was both a genius and a tyrant that learned through experience. He ruled in Norway, before and after working in the Holy Land and Byzantium.
I think the final battles and his work in Constantinople were interesting. I have always been curious if the Vikings, who near the end of the first century turned to Christendom from their Norse gods, ever went as a group to the Holy Land. The fact that they did and spent time defending the Kings of Constantinople before the split of the Church is crazy to me.
I mentioned the video above, but at the end she asked if anyone would want to ask a question. Thinking about that, I am curious what the split of Norse/Christian Vikings were? How the Vikings separated there more pagan views with the Christian views? And lastly if they had been Vikings through and through during the Crusades, would they have pushed into Europe? This would exploit the fact that almost all able-bodied men were gone for a long time. If you read the [Knights of Black and White](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...), which is one of my favorite books and what started my interest in the Templars, you'll learn that before the First Crusade, there was a ban on fighting by the Catholic Church. The Crusades were a way to help relieve young men of there want to fight. So sending all these young men and Knights to the Holy Land, what would the Vikings have done?
## Rating
I think what killed this book for me was just the overwhelming detail. I stopped caring about the book pretty quickly, but wanted to hear how it ended. Mainly because I knew that their last fight was just before the invasion of William the Conqueror from Normandy and that had such a lasting impact on the world as we know it. I didn't realize that it played such a large part to the outcome of that story. Overall, this is a 5. It is really quite boring, but not to the same level as SPQR which is a textbook.
Want more reviews? go to https://boydsbar.xyz
---
## The Book in 1 Sentence
A book that reminds me of SPQR A History of Ancient Rome (https://boydsbar.xyz/s-p-q-r/ due to its heavy instructional feel of the language presented in the book.
## Brief Review
This book was nowhere near as interesting as I thought it was going to be. There is a heavy reliance on dates and people that override the narrative that I think was meant to be told. While Harold led an intriguing life, it is lost in the multitudes of historical details.
## Why I Read this book
I saw [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY0nL...) randomly while searching for something else and thought it would be a good read.
## In-Depth Review (Favorite Quotes)
Look. I am not sure what else to say about this book that wasn't above. Harold was both a genius and a tyrant that learned through experience. He ruled in Norway, before and after working in the Holy Land and Byzantium.
I think the final battles and his work in Constantinople were interesting. I have always been curious if the Vikings, who near the end of the first century turned to Christendom from their Norse gods, ever went as a group to the Holy Land. The fact that they did and spent time defending the Kings of Constantinople before the split of the Church is crazy to me.
I mentioned the video above, but at the end she asked if anyone would want to ask a question. Thinking about that, I am curious what the split of Norse/Christian Vikings were? How the Vikings separated there more pagan views with the Christian views? And lastly if they had been Vikings through and through during the Crusades, would they have pushed into Europe? This would exploit the fact that almost all able-bodied men were gone for a long time. If you read the [Knights of Black and White](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...), which is one of my favorite books and what started my interest in the Templars, you'll learn that before the First Crusade, there was a ban on fighting by the Catholic Church. The Crusades were a way to help relieve young men of there want to fight. So sending all these young men and Knights to the Holy Land, what would the Vikings have done?
## Rating
I think what killed this book for me was just the overwhelming detail. I stopped caring about the book pretty quickly, but wanted to hear how it ended. Mainly because I knew that their last fight was just before the invasion of William the Conqueror from Normandy and that had such a lasting impact on the world as we know it. I didn't realize that it played such a large part to the outcome of that story. Overall, this is a 5. It is really quite boring, but not to the same level as SPQR which is a textbook.
Want more reviews? go to https://boydsbar.xyz
May 7, 2021
I received The Last Viking as part of a NetGalley giveaway.
Just weeks prior to the infamous Battle of Hastings, another, lesser-known invasion of England was taking shape in the north: that of the Norwegian king Harald III, or Hardrada. Egged on by the reigning English king Harold Godwinson's brother Tostig, the elderly-for-the-times Harald was determined to conquer the country he thought was his due. Though ultimately fatal, the Battle of Stamford Bridge was a fitting bookend to an epic life: exiled as a teenager following the overthrow of his half-brother Olaf, coming of age in the court of the Kievan Rus, then rising to prominence in the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople, Harald was a storied and respected warrior by his mid-twenties. When he finally returned to his ancestral homelands, he faced unlikely odds to recapture the throne of his ancestors, yet with military skill, political savvy, and not a small amount of cruelty and ruthlessness, he did so. it says much that his death marked the official end of the Viking Era.
This book was a little slow to start, with a lot of complex family dynamics to sort out. Particularly at the beginning, there's a lot of peripheral/sidebar material that has to do with either the ancient or modern history of a place or concept--unfortunately, it doesn't really matter in the context of the story and just serves to distract the reader from the already-complex narrative. The story does pick up, though, and becomes more engaging as Harald hits his professional stride. I particularly liked reading about his time in Byzantium--the political intrigue, mixture of cultures, and Harald's rise to become right-hand man to the imperial presence. I also noticed a couple instances of some thinly-veiled racism in discussion of Muslim troops--one of the aforementioned sidebar comments was about a spot in the medieval Holy Land being part of modern-day Jordan. The quote was something like "like today, it was a haven for terrorists." It was unnecessary and one-dimensional commentary that isn't relevant to a book about events 1,000 years ago. Second, there was a comment about how the Byzantines fighting the Normans "was not going to be like fighting screaming Arab tribesmen." Again, reductive and racist, and very off-putting. The narrative, once it got going, was quite good, but there's some elements standing in the way of making this a truly enjoyable read.
Just weeks prior to the infamous Battle of Hastings, another, lesser-known invasion of England was taking shape in the north: that of the Norwegian king Harald III, or Hardrada. Egged on by the reigning English king Harold Godwinson's brother Tostig, the elderly-for-the-times Harald was determined to conquer the country he thought was his due. Though ultimately fatal, the Battle of Stamford Bridge was a fitting bookend to an epic life: exiled as a teenager following the overthrow of his half-brother Olaf, coming of age in the court of the Kievan Rus, then rising to prominence in the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople, Harald was a storied and respected warrior by his mid-twenties. When he finally returned to his ancestral homelands, he faced unlikely odds to recapture the throne of his ancestors, yet with military skill, political savvy, and not a small amount of cruelty and ruthlessness, he did so. it says much that his death marked the official end of the Viking Era.
This book was a little slow to start, with a lot of complex family dynamics to sort out. Particularly at the beginning, there's a lot of peripheral/sidebar material that has to do with either the ancient or modern history of a place or concept--unfortunately, it doesn't really matter in the context of the story and just serves to distract the reader from the already-complex narrative. The story does pick up, though, and becomes more engaging as Harald hits his professional stride. I particularly liked reading about his time in Byzantium--the political intrigue, mixture of cultures, and Harald's rise to become right-hand man to the imperial presence. I also noticed a couple instances of some thinly-veiled racism in discussion of Muslim troops--one of the aforementioned sidebar comments was about a spot in the medieval Holy Land being part of modern-day Jordan. The quote was something like "like today, it was a haven for terrorists." It was unnecessary and one-dimensional commentary that isn't relevant to a book about events 1,000 years ago. Second, there was a comment about how the Byzantines fighting the Normans "was not going to be like fighting screaming Arab tribesmen." Again, reductive and racist, and very off-putting. The narrative, once it got going, was quite good, but there's some elements standing in the way of making this a truly enjoyable read.
July 18, 2023
The Last Viking fast-moving narrative beautifully researched and presented. It reads like a novel, combining Norse sagas, Byzantine accounts, Anglo Saxon chronicles, into a single epic story far more exciting than many 'epic fantasies' I have read recently. While pointing out errors and contradictions in the ancient stories for the sake of accuracy Don Hollway makes this unbelievably exciting and dramatic story of this complex individual live and real.
Drawing on a LOT of sources, including the ones I am not that familiar with, the first part tells of the defeat of Harald Sigurdsson also known as Hardrada, at Samford Bridge in England 1066. The story then bounces back a bit, to Olaf being exiled and later trying to reclaim his kingdom in Norway. Olaf died there, but his younger brother Harald Sigerson took refugee in (modern) Sweden and later with his kin In Kiev, and finally took service as a varengian guard under emperor Michael and empress Zoe.
I really liked the first part, drawing heavily on Snorri's tales. Part two was very heavy on Byzantine history, intrigue and Constantinople politics and, not that's its not interesting, but. In the sources available, Harald is not mentioned that much, so there is so much speculation that a lot of his involvement in affairs is practically pure fiction. Again, I don't mind it was just a bit off topic.
Loved the way the author names his sources, tells us where in modern day things occur and interprets the original writing which is often tough work for the idle reader.
The third part tells of how Harald became king of Norway, his relationship with his nephew, king Magnus, his perpetual wars with Sven of Denmark and... everyone else. A picture emerges of a hard bitter man who knows warfare, but not really how to rule or relate to people. He drives loyal (ish) subjects to revolt and a lot of the things that are recorded about him sound harsh. Bear in mind that most of those records come from HIS people.
Part 4 tells, once again, the battle of Samford Bridge, and seeing it from the other side of his life is vivid.
Overall, great book, some great battles, far more epic than most fantasy series. Well researched and spectacular job of pulling all the sources together.
Also on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm7Tu...
Drawing on a LOT of sources, including the ones I am not that familiar with, the first part tells of the defeat of Harald Sigurdsson also known as Hardrada, at Samford Bridge in England 1066. The story then bounces back a bit, to Olaf being exiled and later trying to reclaim his kingdom in Norway. Olaf died there, but his younger brother Harald Sigerson took refugee in (modern) Sweden and later with his kin In Kiev, and finally took service as a varengian guard under emperor Michael and empress Zoe.
I really liked the first part, drawing heavily on Snorri's tales. Part two was very heavy on Byzantine history, intrigue and Constantinople politics and, not that's its not interesting, but. In the sources available, Harald is not mentioned that much, so there is so much speculation that a lot of his involvement in affairs is practically pure fiction. Again, I don't mind it was just a bit off topic.
Loved the way the author names his sources, tells us where in modern day things occur and interprets the original writing which is often tough work for the idle reader.
The third part tells of how Harald became king of Norway, his relationship with his nephew, king Magnus, his perpetual wars with Sven of Denmark and... everyone else. A picture emerges of a hard bitter man who knows warfare, but not really how to rule or relate to people. He drives loyal (ish) subjects to revolt and a lot of the things that are recorded about him sound harsh. Bear in mind that most of those records come from HIS people.
Part 4 tells, once again, the battle of Samford Bridge, and seeing it from the other side of his life is vivid.
Overall, great book, some great battles, far more epic than most fantasy series. Well researched and spectacular job of pulling all the sources together.
Also on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm7Tu...
November 19, 2025
This is a pretty good history of what the author calls "the last viking," King Harald of Norway. Who died in 1066 literally a couple of weeks before the Battle of Hastings battling the English. Old King Harald lived a pretty interesting life. He first ends up in Kiev as a sort of mercenary there and then goes on to Constantinople where he serves as a mercenary and then part of the emperor's guard, which involves battles as far away as Italy, Sicily and the Holy Land. By all accounts he is an impressive fighter and leader of other Norwegians.
On a side note, that was a brutal age. The number of people that are blinded and/or have various parts of their body cut off (nose, ear, fingers, privates) as punishment for various offenses against the emperor is quite impressive, including, amazingly, one emperor himself who managed to lead for two days before the mobs got to him and he was killed. Let that be a lesson to you, do not send off a popular queen to the monastery.
Some quotes, at least one of which, has relevance for today. The more people change, the more they stay the same:
"Power and status derived from imperial favor, observed Attaleiates, "is not very reliable."
"The Norsemen could do little but ponder which ultimate fate they preferred, blinding or castration, and pray to St. Olaf that they would not suffer both. They might even simply be left to starve, until they were forced to eat the dead or even on each other."
Harald eventually returns to Norway and becomes co-King with another Norwegian (he is of royal blood) until his partner dies a couple of years later and then he becomes the sole king of Norway. Unfortunately, while his prowess as a soldier is clear, he becomes a tyrant as king, not at all loved by his subjects.
He is talked into invading England by someone who wants the English throne and dies at the Battle of Stamford, when, according to legend, the English king shoots him in the throat with an arrow.
My one complaint is that, in order to fill pages, the author will step aside to, for instance, explain the marriage customs of 11th century Kiev. I did not find most of these asides terribly interesting.
On a side note, that was a brutal age. The number of people that are blinded and/or have various parts of their body cut off (nose, ear, fingers, privates) as punishment for various offenses against the emperor is quite impressive, including, amazingly, one emperor himself who managed to lead for two days before the mobs got to him and he was killed. Let that be a lesson to you, do not send off a popular queen to the monastery.
Some quotes, at least one of which, has relevance for today. The more people change, the more they stay the same:
"Power and status derived from imperial favor, observed Attaleiates, "is not very reliable."
"The Norsemen could do little but ponder which ultimate fate they preferred, blinding or castration, and pray to St. Olaf that they would not suffer both. They might even simply be left to starve, until they were forced to eat the dead or even on each other."
Harald eventually returns to Norway and becomes co-King with another Norwegian (he is of royal blood) until his partner dies a couple of years later and then he becomes the sole king of Norway. Unfortunately, while his prowess as a soldier is clear, he becomes a tyrant as king, not at all loved by his subjects.
He is talked into invading England by someone who wants the English throne and dies at the Battle of Stamford, when, according to legend, the English king shoots him in the throat with an arrow.
My one complaint is that, in order to fill pages, the author will step aside to, for instance, explain the marriage customs of 11th century Kiev. I did not find most of these asides terribly interesting.
March 28, 2025
With that in mind, it is appropriate to call Harald Hardrada the Last Viking - the last of those wild reavers who marched down out of the cold and windy North, once feared and hated, but now often viewed, even admired, with romantic nostalgia.
1066 is undoubtedly one of the biggest what ifs? in the history of the western world. the epilogue says, Who can say how history might have changed, if the English hadn't exhausted themselves marching all the way up to Stamford Bridge to fight Harald and back down again to fight William? but i think the more interesting question is: how different would the western world be had harald captured england, and the norse had held it? the possibilities are far-reaching and head-spinning and it's always interesting when one person holds that much power, and despite all of his flaws, harald had power - he just needed to execute it better.
this book is so well-written and a fascinating account of one of the most iconic figures in norse history, and i really like how hollway incorporates multiple sources and did not bias the story one way or another by cherry-picking and preferring one saga over another. 'well-researched' is the standard for historical biographies but it's really enhanced by engaging and good writing. i'm just really glad this book exists because (while i like the show) harald is entirely misrepresented in vikings: valhalla, and although that version of him is interesting, they really leave out so much that is interesting, and that includes the more negative traits about him - which hollway presents with the added context of the times, but it never necessarily feels like an excuse; just an explanation. it was a different time, and a different world, and the writing transports you effortlessly to ancient lands full of wonder and intrigue. incredible book!!
May 10, 2021
I just finished reading a delightful biography of King Harald Hardrada of Norway. The ARC was provided to me by Osprey Publishing, and the text is expected to become generally available in September. The title of the book is "The Last Viking." The author, Don Hollway, has done an outstanding job of giving us all a glimpse into late Viking society, using the character and almost unbelievable life of King Harald as a vehicle for his exploration. King Harald Hardrada might be thought of as the Viking warrior writ large. His military and political career, not to speak of his colorful personal life, is used as a kind of exemplum of all of the flaws and virtues of a Viking warrior and King of his time. From his teenage years to his death at the hands of the last Danish leader of England (which paved the way for William the Conqueror's defeat of the English at Hastings) King Harald fought his way through Norway and Denmark to Kiev and a protracted stay in the service of the Byzantine Empire before winning back power in Norway and finally to his demise in England. Along the way he distinguished himself by his self-serving ruthlessness as well as his startling interest and participation in Scandinavian literary culture and a bewildering number of marriages and romantic entanglements, all heavily laden with political implications designed to serve his own purposes. He fought with distinction in battles all over the Medieval world. The author captures all of this through a deft examination of primary sources that most of us are only passingly familiar with. If you want to better understand the Vikings' role in early modern Europe, there are few figures which could more effectively convey the remarkable depth and longevity of Viking contributions to the modern world.
March 22, 2022
This is a well-researched, comprehensive treatise on the life of Norway's King Harald. To most people, he's the brute who invaded England in the Fall of 1066, and was defeated at Stamford Bridge by England's King Harold. Unfortunately for Harold, the effort to move troops a great distance, fight a vicious battle, and then rush back to face the Normans at Hastings proved his undoing.
The failed conquest by Harald is really just the final chapter of a long and storied life. As meticulously told by Don Holloway, Harald was the ultimate Viking (pun intended). His tale beings with his escape from the battle of Stiklestad (sp?), whence he fled to Constantinople. There he headed the Varangian Guards, an elite special unit fighting for the Byzantine royalty against Moors and other enemies.
Eventually Harald has to flea for his life back to Norway. Battling successfully for the kingship of Norway and unsuccessfully for Denmark's crown, Harald went through more battles than most men of his era would face in three lifetimes.
Upon acquiring the kingship, Harald became even more ruthless, and ruled with cruelty. It was hard to read this part of the book. Once the protagonist, Harald became murderous and brutal, such that now you're reading about an evil individual (the author's moral relativism at the book's end not withstanding).
I only gave the book three stars because the name-dropping (sadly so present in many historical biopics) became confusing, and at time dreadfully boring. I found myself skipping over parts of paragraphs where the name morass became tedious. Still, I found the book informative and at times even fascinating. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the final chapters in Viking lore. But as a good read, you might want to look elsewhere.
The failed conquest by Harald is really just the final chapter of a long and storied life. As meticulously told by Don Holloway, Harald was the ultimate Viking (pun intended). His tale beings with his escape from the battle of Stiklestad (sp?), whence he fled to Constantinople. There he headed the Varangian Guards, an elite special unit fighting for the Byzantine royalty against Moors and other enemies.
Eventually Harald has to flea for his life back to Norway. Battling successfully for the kingship of Norway and unsuccessfully for Denmark's crown, Harald went through more battles than most men of his era would face in three lifetimes.
Upon acquiring the kingship, Harald became even more ruthless, and ruled with cruelty. It was hard to read this part of the book. Once the protagonist, Harald became murderous and brutal, such that now you're reading about an evil individual (the author's moral relativism at the book's end not withstanding).
I only gave the book three stars because the name-dropping (sadly so present in many historical biopics) became confusing, and at time dreadfully boring. I found myself skipping over parts of paragraphs where the name morass became tedious. Still, I found the book informative and at times even fascinating. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the final chapters in Viking lore. But as a good read, you might want to look elsewhere.
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