The Vikings: Wolves of War (Critical Issues in History)

"Preserve us,O Lord from the fury of the Northmen." So wrote a 9th century monk, facing the full brunt of the Viking raids of the 9th and 10th centuries, and it is primarily this view of the "Northmen" that is most familiar to us today. Martin Arnold's history, using recent archaeological finds in addition to scholarship in Norse prose, poetry and mythology, presents a fascinating history of who these people were and what their impact on Europe was. I was most interested in the opening chapters, in which Arnold examines Norse mythology and literature as a tool for inferring what the values, beliefs and mores of the Vikings were. As one would expect, the martial values of ferocity, bravery and stoicism were emphasized, but so too were cunning, subtle manipulation, and intimidation (as the quote above illustrates.) Arnold shows not only how these attributes were an integral part of Viking culture, but were also key to their successes as plunderers, pirates, conquorers and explorers. The middle half of the book is clearly Arnold's are aof expertise, as he discusses the tremendous political impact the Northmen had on the British Isles, beginning with the destruction of Lindesfarne in 793 and ending with the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His detail and explaination of the complex network of alliances and competing claims to land and title were excellent, the maps of Britain particularly helpful, especially for one who is not a medievalist and who is only passingly familiar with many of the places referenced. The final quarter of the book discusses the Northmen as explorers of the New World and conquorers of Russia. His scholarship was first rate; I was particularly impressed with his summary of competing historical interpretations of the role and presence of the Vikings in these parts of the world. At just under 150 pages, this is a quick read, but the material is first-rate. The judicious use of eye-witnesses throughout the historical narrative give a real voice to the place and time, and his incorporation of historical, literary, and archaeological material show top-shelf scholarship. (In deference to an earlier reviewer who took issue with Arnold's acount of the succession to the Saxon throne in the 11th century, I just read another history of the Middle Ages by John Riddle whose chronology is identical to Arnold's. Clearly there seems to be some controversey about the specific dates within the narrower historical community.) Recommended for anyone interested in the early middle ages or the vikings in particular.