Brownworth Lars The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings

I found this the best of the recent books I’ve read on the Vikings. A really great read, well written and over sadly quickly once I started, as I couldn’t put it down. Really well researched with no overly speculative conclusions drawn, with a good narrative assessing Viking history all over the globe including showing the Vikings in some rather surprising and unexpected places and roles, such as the Varangian Guards (an elite unit in the Byzantine army). Highly recommend this, it’s the best of a good bunch I’ve read recently and if you want a great overarching book as an introduction to the Vikings this is the one to pick!

the first book i have read that puts the famous viking names of england in their broader european context - a timely book and a most enjoyable read

Obwohl ich selbst ex-Brite bin, habe ich in diesen Buch soviel über Englische und Europäische Geschichte gelesen wie nie zuvor. Ich hatte wirklich keine Ahnung wie sehr die Wikinger mit die Geschichten Ireland's, Englands und Russlands verwoben ist. Ich freue mich auf das nächste Buch über die Normannen.

Well written book with lots of detail on the who's who of the Vikings in early exploration and conquest.

“The Sea Wolves” is the long saga of the Vikings and the many lands they looted, settled and with whom they traded. It is interesting in the range of their roamings and the breath of their conquests. Many may think of the Vikings as brute pillagers, which they were, but they were also explorers and spawned rulers. This book relates the effects they had on Britain, Ireland and Northern continental Europe. They affected its literature, patterns of settlement and world view of the day. As explorers the Vikings opened new lands including Iceland, Greenland and visited, but did not remain in North America. The founded cites such as Dublin and played major roles in the development of kingdoms in Ireland, Britain and as far away as Russia. Their leaders eventually morphed into the nations they became. Their roles in spread of Christianity are extensively covered. Although I have read much history, little of it dealt with the Vikings or Scandinavia. I was fascinated by the extent of Viking involvement in the development of European lands as the Roman influence receded. My only reservation is that there are so many Norse names that I had difficulty keeping them straight. I recommend this for a reader who is interested in its subject or one who wants to expand his understanding of early European history.