The Vikings: A Very Short Introduction

by Julian D. Richards

Book Overview

The Viking reputation is one of bloodthirsty seafaring warriors, repeatedly plundering the British Isles and the North Atlantic throughout the early Middle Ages. Yet Vikings were also traders, settlers, and farmers, with a complex artistic and linguistic culture, whose expansion overseas led them to cross the Atlantic for the first time in European history. Highlighting the latest archaeological evidence, Julian Richards reveals the whole Viking world:...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192806076
• ISBN13: 9780192806079
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.4" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Summary Review

I think this book does a very good job with a very difficult task. The writer's purpose is to present the up-to-date evidence in a very brief manner, and succeeds admirably. The archaeological finds themselves tell us much about Viking life: there were swords, axes, animal sacrifices, sacred trees, shamanic instruments, chieftains halls, women held places of prominence. The list could go on. I especially liked the section on religion, which was probably one of the better pieces on Viking religion I have yet read. My only complaint is the insinuation that people reviving the religion of the Vikings are Neo-Nazis. If you are looking for a very short intro to the Vikings, then this is a good place to start.