The Vikings: A History

This is an excellent resource to learn about the Vikings' pre-Christian cultural practices as well as their raiding and settlement activities in Russia, England, Ireland, Iceland, and beyond. It presents genetic evidence for the partial Scandinavian descent of some of the people living in parts of present-day Britain and Ireland. Viking personalities discussed at length include King Cnut, King Guthrum, Ivar the Boneless, and many more. The writing is clear and the 32 photographs are well-chosen.

To start, Ferguson's book gives a nice review of the Vikings' many geographical influences. Instead of focusing a chapter on weapons, culture, time period, etc., the book is more focused on Viking conquest and settlement in Eastern Europe, England, Normandy, etc. However, the aspect that set this book apart was the acknowledgment of source conflict and uncertainty. Many aspects of Viking history are only recorded by one or a handful of medieval scribes, who would often bias their stories to suit their own family or religious needs. Ferguson is careful to bring these sources together to give a balanced picture. His handling of medieval Christianity was also very fascinating, particularly his thesis that the Viking raids may have been spurred on by over-zealous conversion tactics by the Frankish-Holy Roman Empire. Additionally, the reader also got a feel for the gradual conversion of the Vikings from Heathendom to Christianity, which was seen by many Viking rulers as a way to gain access to mainland European culture and society. Highly recommended for those interested in early European history.

There have been many books written on the Vikings, and everyone has their own stereotypical - and in most cases, inaccurate - idea of who the Vikings were and what they were like; media has done much to reaffirm these clichés. Thankfully, there is //The Vikings: A History// by a "leading authority in the field of Scandinavian studies," Robert Ferguson. Ferguson puts all the misconceived and incorrect notions of Vikings to rest, launching into a comprehensive history of these northern peoples and what effect they had on Europe from the eighth centuries on through the first millennium. Ferguson pulls from many sources, and presents not just the viewpoint of the Vikings and their achievements, but also short histories on the northern British Isles, Charlemagne, and the various kingdoms of the European continent, showing how greatly affected they were by the Viking attacks and takeovers. //The Vikings: A History// will clear away the image of a horn-helmeted brute and replace it with a developed, complex culture that was intelligent and creative, and had reasons for the attacks against the various peoples of Europe. Reviewed by Alex Telander

Fabulously well-researched and well-written book by a lifelong scholar of Viking studies. Careful marshaling of the evidence on many points of disputation. Good story-teller. Wished it wouldn't end.

Ferguson is fabulous! I had trouble putting this book down. I felt I was living the Viking era. The first book on Norse history that mades the cultural and cosmological belief system of the Vikings clear to me. There is no bias in this history. The Vikings are brutal, but they are also traders and colonists. Since most of our information about the Vikings is derived from Christian sources, it is refreshing to read something of Charlemagne's brutality toward the Heathen Saxons. Could this have influenced the Viking raiders' viciousness? It seems likely.