Armies of the Vikings, AD 793–1066: History, Organization and Equipment

by Gabriele Esposito

Viking warriors were feared by their contemporaries and their ferocious reputation has survived down to the present day. This book covers the military history of the Vikings from their early raiding to the final failure of their expansionist ambitions directed against England. In that period Viking warbands and increasingly large armies had left their Scandinavian homelands to range across vast regions, including the whole of Northern Europe and beyond, even reaching North America. The British Isles were terrorized for two centuries and at times largely conquered, in Normandy, Russia and elsewhere they also settled and founded states. Tough, skilled and resourceful, with a culture that embraced the pursuit of immortal fame and a heroic death in battle, their renown as warriors was second to none. As far afield as Constantinople, the Byzantine emperors employed them as their elite Varangian Guard. Gabriele Esposito outlines the history of their campaigns and battles and examines in detail their strategy, tactics, weapons, armour and clothing. The subject is brought to life by dozens of colour photographs of replica equipment in use.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

The author of numerous books on armies and uniforms, Gabriele Esposito is a contract professor of Medieval, Modern and Contemporary History at the "Luigi Vanvitelli" University of Campania.

Reviews

[Don Gerstein]

Although the book sends a mixed message as to its purpose, there are many good qualities that ultimately make “Armies of the Vikings AD 793-1066” something I can recommend.

I was not entirely sure of the target audience for this book. It feels like the author compiled the highlights of this era from the readings in the bibliography and presented them in a readable historical format that emphasizes the major episodes that occurred. Author Gabriele Esposito chose to not delve deeply into the whys and wherefores of the people who left their mark on history, which was mildly disappointing but was overcome by the cohesiveness of the chronological presentation.

An explanation at the beginning tells readers that “Gabriele Esposito is a military historian who…is an expert specializing in uniformology.” Thus, the book has many pictures of re-enactors dressed in period clothing. While these were interesting, I found no rhyme or reason to their presentation. Perhaps their use during the time span of the book would have been helpful (placing the uniforms in chronological order). There were also pictures that repeated later, sometimes in a different pose, other times with a small change in clothing. If all the armor pictured was used between 793 and 1066, grouping the similar types along with small changes (a shirt change or the addition of a helmet) would have helped rather than scatter similar pictures throughout.

Overall, this book is an informative read for those new to the subject. This would include adults as well as younger readers in their pre- and early teen years. Mr. Esposito took care to cover all the exploits, both on the main European continent as well as the excursions throughout different areas in England, Ireland, and Scotland. If you are considering this book and this would be your first read on the Vikings, it will give you a good overview of their exploits into different lands and countries. Four stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A supposed descendant of mighty Vikings, particularly Erik the Great, I am always curious and interested in historical research related to Vikings. Armies of the Vikings, AD 793–1066, did not disappoint! The content is informative and brings these warriors to life. The explanations of their plights, reasons, and rationales for some choices were helpful. I love that it covers a lot of land and it written in a way that non-academics can enjoy. Saying that, the images were vivid and stunning and can hold the attention of any reader. I appreciated the re-enactors bringing these warriors to a contemporary audience.
I received a complimentary advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book about Vikings is pretty much guaranteed to get at least 4 stars from me. "Armies of the Vikings, AD 793–1066" managed to get the top rating by bringing Viking armies to life. I almost expected to see a couple of Vikings charging through my living room! It's written in a style that makes it easy to read, it's entertaining, and the photos are an added bonus. Great stuff!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

[E.E. Leivo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hieno ja yllättävän viihdyttävä yleiskatsaus viikinkiajan taisteluista ja armeijoista, vaikka esimerkiksi enemmän legendat kuin todelliset henkilöt Ragnar Karvahousu & Rurik sekoittuvat (ehkä liiankin) sujuvasti tutkittuun tietoon.