A Brief History of the Vikings: The Last Pagans or the First Modern Europeans?

Having visited Viking sites in Norway and read about their trading expeditions into Russia and Turkey, I was curious to learn more about these adventurers of the Middle Ages. I think the author does an excellent job of writing an informative history with some degree of humorous story telling. While it is easy to get lost in the similar names and the violent exploits of different Viking leaders, the reader will be struck by the wide spread influence these raiders had on civilisations in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Those of us who have European relatives should not be surprised if we find a little Viking DNA in our genome! This is an enjoyable book that provides a great introduction to Scandinavian history.

The author's conversational style and sense of humor make this book easy and enjoyable to read. Adding recent DNA evidence cements up areas concerning which peoples settled the various parts of Britain and the world. Viking history has been told in many books, yet this one adds new slants to old history. In concluding, the author reminds us that we might respond as lawlessly as the "barbarian" Vikings in similar hardship conditions, their warmer climate, and without our modern supports of government, welfare and insurance. Indeed, he says, other people now exploit the resources of distant lands for us.

I had always been casually interested in Viking history, and while browsing at my local bookstore, this book seemed to provide an easy-to-read introduction to the Vikings. It definitely lived up to its potential. The author conducts a wide survey of the Vikings and their voyages from Greenland and North America all the way to the Middle East and the Black Sea. The text is entertaining and the author writes with a dry sarcasm that I found to be comedic. The only negative was that it was sometimes difficult to keep up with all the different names of various Scandinavian rulers and raiders. Overall, highly recommended for casual Viking enthusiasts.

Using personal histories and the biographies of leading figures, this book humanises the Viking world. In places, it often reads more like a historical novel, albeit one with scrupulous references to original sagas and archaeology. It is particularly good on the Vikings' encounters outside the usual stories, with interesting notes on their dealings with the Muslim world, particularly the effect of the Zanj Rebellion in what is now Iraq on the white slave trade in Northern Europe, and the influence of the influx of silver from Benjahir in Afghanistan. The narrative also manages a broad historical perspective, beginning with the departure of the Roman legions from Britain, and taking the impact of Scandinavians on North America all the way up to the year 2000. Highly recommended.