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The Viking Great Army and the Making of England
The Viking Great Army that swept through England between AD 865 and 878 altered the course of British history. Since the late 8th century, Viking raids on the British Isles had been a regular feature of life, but the winter of 865 saw a fundamental shift that would change the political, economic and social landscape forever. Instead of making quick smash-and-grab summer raids for silver and slaves, Vikings now remained in England for the winter and became immersed in its communities. Some settled permanently, acquiring land and forming a new hybrid Anglo-Scandinavian culture. The Viking army was here to stay. Its presence was a catalyst for new towns and new industries, while transformations in power politics would ultimately see the rise of King Alfred the Great and make Wessex the pre-eminent kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England. Drawing on the most up-to-date discoveries and the latest scientific techniques, the authors recent research at the Viking Great Armys winter camp at Torksey in Lincolnshire has revolutionized what we know about its size, activities and social makeup, as has the wealth of newly recovered evidence from metal-detectorists. Unfolding like a great detective story, this account traces the movements of the Great Army across the country, piecing together a new picture of Viking Age England in unprecedented detail, from swords, coins, jewelry and the burials of great warriors to the everyday objects that ordinary farmers and craftsmen discarded. It is the definitive story of a vital period in British history.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2021
21 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Dawn M. Hadley
18 books7 followersWrites as D.M. Hadley and Dawn M. Hadley.
Dawn Marie Hadley (born 1967) is a British historian and archaeologist, who is best known for her research on the Anglo-Saxon and Viking Age periods, the study of childhood, and gender in medieval England. She is a member of the Centre for Medieval Studies and the department of archaeology at the University of York and co-director of the Tents to Towns project.
Dawn Marie Hadley (born 1967) is a British historian and archaeologist, who is best known for her research on the Anglo-Saxon and Viking Age periods, the study of childhood, and gender in medieval England. She is a member of the Centre for Medieval Studies and the department of archaeology at the University of York and co-director of the Tents to Towns project.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 30, 2021
The Viking Great Army and the making of England, Hadley and Richards, 2021, 269 pages or 304 with endnotes, etc
This is quite straight forward to read and the fact that there is a map or an illustration every few pages helps you to zoom through it. However, the title is rather misleading. Anyone hoping to read about the Great Army's campaigns, modes of fighting and so on will be very disappointed, even if they actually learn a lot more about other aspects. A more accurate title would be the archaeological traces left by the Great Army and observations based thereon. Not quite so marketable, mind.
This is a good book and as it is so new, taking in recent finds by detectorists, it is a book that anyone can learn from. In fact, it is the stuff recorded via the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) that forms the meat of this work. The amount of extra knowledge that this has given us cannot be underestimated. Not only do productive sites discovered by detectorists give archaeologists an insight into where to direct their efforts, but as so many finds are workaday artefacts, they offer a great view into the little things of life. One example of this is the viking gaming pieces. These were possibly invented at Torksey, as they seem to appear here first and then become ubiquitous at Great Army camps and places that they transgressed. Along with a few other finds common to these camps, they are diagnostic in working out the army's progress.
The discoveries at Torksey and to a lesser extent, Aldwark, form the centre piece of the book. The analysis of the camp at Torksey is very interesting and provides quite a contrast to the much smaller camp at Repton, of which they question some of the published conclusions. It is quite likely that the excavated area around the church at Repton is just one small part of the camp and most of the finds in the vicinity are actually from outside the D ring.
From reading about just how widespread the day to day finds associated with the Mycel Here are throughout eastern England and how their arrival matches the abandonment or decline of Anglo-Saxon aspects of life, you do get an impression of the significance of the army.
This book is written by two archaeologists and so it is based on finds, rather than texts, although they are invoked to give a context. It might have made for a more rounded book if they had brought in an historian. For example, when they mentioned the 'king and nobles coming together periodically in an assembly called the Witan to issue laws and grant lands', this isn't as nuanced as I'd have liked and I feel that they'd have done well to have read Roach's Kingship and Consent.
The map showing the Burghal Hidage is a complete dog's dinner with York down as part of the scheme. I'm also really not keen on fictional depictions being included in history books, even if they are based on serious archaeology. The less said of Beaduheard and the vikings who 'simply lost their cool when challenged by the local tax man,' the better.
The chapter on the 'first industrial revolution' is nice, but feels semi-detached to the rest of the book. It's about the significant impact the Great Army had on the pottery industry, with it taking off in a big way at Torksey. There was the reintroduction of fast spun ware and higher temperature firings, most of which subsequently occurred in Danelaw towns. It's good stuff, but did feel as if they'd done the research anyway and so it was going to go into the book, regardless.
This is quite straight forward to read and the fact that there is a map or an illustration every few pages helps you to zoom through it. However, the title is rather misleading. Anyone hoping to read about the Great Army's campaigns, modes of fighting and so on will be very disappointed, even if they actually learn a lot more about other aspects. A more accurate title would be the archaeological traces left by the Great Army and observations based thereon. Not quite so marketable, mind.
This is a good book and as it is so new, taking in recent finds by detectorists, it is a book that anyone can learn from. In fact, it is the stuff recorded via the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) that forms the meat of this work. The amount of extra knowledge that this has given us cannot be underestimated. Not only do productive sites discovered by detectorists give archaeologists an insight into where to direct their efforts, but as so many finds are workaday artefacts, they offer a great view into the little things of life. One example of this is the viking gaming pieces. These were possibly invented at Torksey, as they seem to appear here first and then become ubiquitous at Great Army camps and places that they transgressed. Along with a few other finds common to these camps, they are diagnostic in working out the army's progress.
The discoveries at Torksey and to a lesser extent, Aldwark, form the centre piece of the book. The analysis of the camp at Torksey is very interesting and provides quite a contrast to the much smaller camp at Repton, of which they question some of the published conclusions. It is quite likely that the excavated area around the church at Repton is just one small part of the camp and most of the finds in the vicinity are actually from outside the D ring.
From reading about just how widespread the day to day finds associated with the Mycel Here are throughout eastern England and how their arrival matches the abandonment or decline of Anglo-Saxon aspects of life, you do get an impression of the significance of the army.
This book is written by two archaeologists and so it is based on finds, rather than texts, although they are invoked to give a context. It might have made for a more rounded book if they had brought in an historian. For example, when they mentioned the 'king and nobles coming together periodically in an assembly called the Witan to issue laws and grant lands', this isn't as nuanced as I'd have liked and I feel that they'd have done well to have read Roach's Kingship and Consent.
The map showing the Burghal Hidage is a complete dog's dinner with York down as part of the scheme. I'm also really not keen on fictional depictions being included in history books, even if they are based on serious archaeology. The less said of Beaduheard and the vikings who 'simply lost their cool when challenged by the local tax man,' the better.
The chapter on the 'first industrial revolution' is nice, but feels semi-detached to the rest of the book. It's about the significant impact the Great Army had on the pottery industry, with it taking off in a big way at Torksey. There was the reintroduction of fast spun ware and higher temperature firings, most of which subsequently occurred in Danelaw towns. It's good stuff, but did feel as if they'd done the research anyway and so it was going to go into the book, regardless.
November 21, 2021
I've finally finished this book! It's taken me ages, there was so much information to take in that I had to re-read several chapters. I am interested in the viking great army and there was an army of information about it here, but it was chapter 7 I think it was which interested me the most. This chapter talked about the vikings becoming settlers rather than raiders, the changes they brought to the area and the enormous number of towns and villages which they settled.
In the Domesday book 48% of place names were of Scandinavian connections, most in the yorkshire region, towns/villages ending in "by" were scandinavian and ending in "tun" were the old english equivalents and it's from the norse "by" that we get our "by-laws". And I found the maps fascinating. Also that old english and old norse languages were similar so the people mingled well and married and settled down. It was just a chapter which seemed to have more relevance today than the many others!!
I would really recommend this book if you are a lover of history and archaeology, but it was quite a long involved read for me, long covid notwithstanding!!
In the Domesday book 48% of place names were of Scandinavian connections, most in the yorkshire region, towns/villages ending in "by" were scandinavian and ending in "tun" were the old english equivalents and it's from the norse "by" that we get our "by-laws". And I found the maps fascinating. Also that old english and old norse languages were similar so the people mingled well and married and settled down. It was just a chapter which seemed to have more relevance today than the many others!!
I would really recommend this book if you are a lover of history and archaeology, but it was quite a long involved read for me, long covid notwithstanding!!
July 11, 2021
This is am excellent well researched work that gives incredibly interesting new insights into the nature of the great Viking armies that came to England in the late 880’s and settled in winter camps at places like Torksey and Aldwark outside of York. Through a collaboration of archaeologists, historians, numismatists and metal detectors (whose work I admire a lot more after reading this text) the authors bring to life the people and cultures who inhabited these camps and moved from being invaders to settlers as well as enriching these places to establish them as key industrial centres. I am also intrigued by the authors suggestion that one of the legendary Viking invaders - Ivar the Boneless - may have been buried near Repton which I will need to visit. Highly recommend
April 30, 2025
This book is essentially a collection of archaeological case studies in which Dawn Hadley investigates the activities of the Great Heathen Army in the 860s and 870s from findings at their camp and burial sites. It focuses heavily on the academic side of archaeology so it may be difficult for those with a casual historical interest to get into.
The quality of research is good and provides insight into the nature of the winter camps in which the Viking army resided outside of the campaign season. What Hadley uncovers is that lead weights appear frequently in these camps, to the extent that they become a key identifying feature of Great Army activity in her further study. The prominence of these weights alongside the presence of waste products from the smelting process suggests a Viking economy centred on bullion. Metal items taken in raids were melted down and the ingots were used as currency in the vast Scandinavian trading network the Vikings operated within.
Furthermore, Hadley uses the distinctive items associated with Great Army presence to track their movements and from this uncover the strategy of its leaders. Sizable deposits of Great Army material are found at key points along major roads and waterways, particularly on islands in major rivers like the site at Torksey on the Trent. This reveals a preference for mobile warfare and that the Viking knowledge of the English trading network was exploited to maximise maneuverability.
The greatest drawback of the book is that this research isn’t properly integrated into an overarching narrative. Whilst the chapters follow on from one another chronologically, a coherent story is lacking throughout. The backstory of Viking raids in Ireland and France is told as well as the tale of King Alfred and the rise of Wessex, but everything in between is explored in isolation.
This style of writing is suitable for singular articles within an academic journal, but when writing a book on many related studies the reader expects greater clarity as to how everything fits into the bigger picture. The result of this approach is that the reader questions the relevance of parts of the discussion and therefore struggles to immerse themselves in the material.
It would have been better for Hadley to have structured this book based on the progression of events as told by textual sources. From this foundation, the findings of her investigations could have embellished this story to fill gaps in our knowledge and make a more engaging read.
That being said, this is still an enjoyable read about the activity of the Great Heathen Army in the 860s and 870s and tells us a lot more than what we know from textual sources such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. If you are interested in Viking or Anglo-Saxon history, this is recommended for its informative value.
The quality of research is good and provides insight into the nature of the winter camps in which the Viking army resided outside of the campaign season. What Hadley uncovers is that lead weights appear frequently in these camps, to the extent that they become a key identifying feature of Great Army activity in her further study. The prominence of these weights alongside the presence of waste products from the smelting process suggests a Viking economy centred on bullion. Metal items taken in raids were melted down and the ingots were used as currency in the vast Scandinavian trading network the Vikings operated within.
Furthermore, Hadley uses the distinctive items associated with Great Army presence to track their movements and from this uncover the strategy of its leaders. Sizable deposits of Great Army material are found at key points along major roads and waterways, particularly on islands in major rivers like the site at Torksey on the Trent. This reveals a preference for mobile warfare and that the Viking knowledge of the English trading network was exploited to maximise maneuverability.
The greatest drawback of the book is that this research isn’t properly integrated into an overarching narrative. Whilst the chapters follow on from one another chronologically, a coherent story is lacking throughout. The backstory of Viking raids in Ireland and France is told as well as the tale of King Alfred and the rise of Wessex, but everything in between is explored in isolation.
This style of writing is suitable for singular articles within an academic journal, but when writing a book on many related studies the reader expects greater clarity as to how everything fits into the bigger picture. The result of this approach is that the reader questions the relevance of parts of the discussion and therefore struggles to immerse themselves in the material.
It would have been better for Hadley to have structured this book based on the progression of events as told by textual sources. From this foundation, the findings of her investigations could have embellished this story to fill gaps in our knowledge and make a more engaging read.
That being said, this is still an enjoyable read about the activity of the Great Heathen Army in the 860s and 870s and tells us a lot more than what we know from textual sources such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. If you are interested in Viking or Anglo-Saxon history, this is recommended for its informative value.
June 29, 2025
[29 Jun 2025] This history book, written by two Professors of archaeology is not aimed at the non-committed general reader. It takes you on a journey around Britain, mostly England, and looks at the archaeological evidence for the Viking army that swept through England between AD 865 and 867. It is detailed, comprehensive and forensically analytical. It unfolds site by site into a picture of their 'over-wintering' and general life styles. It gives you real detail and context. It glides close to text book and if you are a university student of archaeology or early-history is probably a required text. I did at times feel that I had two much detail about artefacts, such as pottery, coinage, burials etc.
I would have loved more about social history - diet, clothing, pastimes, etc. It was a bit of a long haul in some times, but was nonetheless informative, interesting and educational. I did enjoy it from a learning point of view, but can't say the reading was enjoyable or for that matter engaging. Then there was the clanger of an error on page-22, 'King Ecgberht (r. 802-39) Wessex was growing in power, absorbing first Devon and then Cornwall...' The Vikings joined with the Cornish to resist the Anglo-Saxons and although ultimately defeated never accepted then or now that they were 'absorbed' into England or became English.
A worthy informative read.
I would have loved more about social history - diet, clothing, pastimes, etc. It was a bit of a long haul in some times, but was nonetheless informative, interesting and educational. I did enjoy it from a learning point of view, but can't say the reading was enjoyable or for that matter engaging. Then there was the clanger of an error on page-22, 'King Ecgberht (r. 802-39) Wessex was growing in power, absorbing first Devon and then Cornwall...' The Vikings joined with the Cornish to resist the Anglo-Saxons and although ultimately defeated never accepted then or now that they were 'absorbed' into England or became English.
A worthy informative read.
March 1, 2025
This is a bit of a weird review, because I read this book alongside another: Ælfred’s Britain: War and Peace in the Viking Age, by Max Adams. I read it as a guide to track the movements of the Great Army, the primary antagonist in Ælfred’s story, and to get a bit of a perspective from the other side, if you will.
And for that purpose, it worked very well. It's an excellent, well-researched, guide of the movements, lifestyle, and tactics of the Great Army, as well as covering a variety of scholarly arguments on topics such as settlement location, leadership of the army, and exact makeup of the army. However, I do think my view on it suffered because Max Adams's book was just... more. He covers events pertaining to the Great Army that don't even make it into this book.
However, this is more accessible. If you aren't obsessively into Anglo-Saxon England, this may honestly be the stronger choice to introduce yourself to the subject. You're unlikely to get bogged down in pottery or linguistics here, so if that's your gripe with longer, more scholarly books, then I totally recommend this. Still a very strong contender.
3.8/5 Suffered because I decided to read two 9th Century history books at the same time.
And for that purpose, it worked very well. It's an excellent, well-researched, guide of the movements, lifestyle, and tactics of the Great Army, as well as covering a variety of scholarly arguments on topics such as settlement location, leadership of the army, and exact makeup of the army. However, I do think my view on it suffered because Max Adams's book was just... more. He covers events pertaining to the Great Army that don't even make it into this book.
However, this is more accessible. If you aren't obsessively into Anglo-Saxon England, this may honestly be the stronger choice to introduce yourself to the subject. You're unlikely to get bogged down in pottery or linguistics here, so if that's your gripe with longer, more scholarly books, then I totally recommend this. Still a very strong contender.
3.8/5 Suffered because I decided to read two 9th Century history books at the same time.
November 19, 2025
Not what I was expecting or wanting from this book really. I felt the blurb was a little misleading and not really a definitive account of the movements of the great Viking army across Britain but more a dry account of archaeological sites with lists of finds. Whilst interesting up to a point it was not what I was really looking for and I found it a tad dry and rather a plod. Not aimed at the casual reader with an interest in this period of history I think.
January 28, 2022
I found this book hard to read however it is a wealth of knowledge about the the Great Heathen Army. The authors have done great research throughout the book and have put forward some very interesting points.
January 25, 2025
This is more an archeological book than a historical one. Half of the book is about describing how did they find stuff.
If you’re knowledgeable already about the Great Army, it won’t tell you a lot of new things.
It’s not bad, just was expecting a historical analysis.
If you’re knowledgeable already about the Great Army, it won’t tell you a lot of new things.
It’s not bad, just was expecting a historical analysis.
October 30, 2023
I really enjoyed reading their interpretation of the archeological finds.
January 13, 2024
A pretty dry summation of what hoards have been found where, following the great viking army.
April 17, 2025
Quite a bit of interesting stuff, and sometimes a fascinating read, but prone to getting bogged down in a catalogue of finds/features.
September 7, 2025
The voice actress ruined the entire read for me.
March 15, 2023
Having only known the basics about the Great Heathen Army, the Torksey camp, some of their movements alongside their real and legendary saga leaders, I went into this book with an open mind. I enjoyed it, the sheer wealth of finds and stories associated with these sites is mind boggling and the fact that the impact of the Army was felt over 200 years afterwards in the form of an industrial revolution is mind blowing. The Great Heathen Army has lived in my imagination through the accounts of Ælfred and the TV show Vikings, yet now I feel closer to the real thing. I have gained a new understanding of what these people did during their time in the Army and as settlers in Britain, and learnt more about their conquests through what they left behind. While it can feel a bit stagnant at times as we know the Vikings were seemingly always on the move, staying in one place feels strange when referring to them. Anyway, Dawn and Julian balance out archaeological theories brilliantly and how new evidence proved minimalist viewpoints wrong. Alongside River Kings by Cat Jarman, I think this is a must read for understanding the Vikings movement, artefacts and behaviours, even if it is on a more localised scale. I hope I can visit Torksey one day, and I'll know that this book has lead me there.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews