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Filling a gap in the literature for an academically oriented volume on the Viking period, this unique book is a one-stop authoritative introduction to all the latest research in the field.

Bringing together today’s leading scholars, both established seniors and younger, cutting-edge academics, Stefan Brink and Neil Price have constructed the first single work to gather innovative research from a spectrum of disciplines (including archaeology, history, philology, comparative religion, numismatics and cultural geography) to create the most comprehensive Viking Age book of its kind ever attempted.

Consisting of longer articles providing overviews of important themes, supported by shorter papers focusing on material of particular interest, this comprehensive volume covers such wide-ranging topics as social institutions, spatial issues, the Viking Age economy, warfare, beliefs, language, voyages, and links with medieval and Christian Europe.

This original work, specifically oriented towards a university audience and the educated public, will have a self-evident place as an undergraduate course book and will be a standard work of reference for all those in the field.

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After the successful edition of the book on the voyages by the Norwegian Ohthere, Ohthere's Voyages, the Viking Ship Museum now presents the lesser-known travelogue which accompanies Ohthere's report in the Old English version of Orosius' world history. The narrative begins with these words: "Wulfstan said that he travelled from the Heaths, that he was in Truso in seven days and nights, that the boat was all the way running under sail" Wulfstan's account covers a voyage from the root of Jutland to the Vistula Delta - connecting the trading centres of Hedeby and Truso - and provides a rare and vivid view of the south-eastern Baltic Sea region in the early Viking Age, including aspects of inland navigation and local culture. In the new volume, thirty scholars from seven countries interpret the original source and present its geographical, cultural, nautical and economic context in the light of recent investigations. In order to gain a better understanding of Wulfstan's navigational account, the Viking Ship Museum contributed with a trial voyage from Hedeby to Gda?sk with the Skuldelev 1-reconstruction Ottar af Roskilde. Manned by a group of volunteers, this cargo vessel managed to cover the distance faster than Wulfstan did in his time. ... Read more

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An engaging and popular history of a mysterious era of English history--the conquest of the Vikings. Its mixture of "Dark Age" fear and its emphasis on the fighting faith of kings, country, and monasteries is sure to fascinate and delight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good, but could be better
Cavill assumes that you know the English history of this period and basic English geography.I do not.This book could be improved with a table of kings (Edward, Edmund, etc. all become a jumble) and maps to separate Mercia from Northumbria.Admittedly a British reader would know all this.You should know the book is about the Anglo Saxon response to Viking invasion.It is a fascinating period and the book well worth your time.

Beautiful account of how a pagan warrior culture was changed
"Vikings: Fear and Faith" is an often eloquent history book in the hard-to-put-down page-turner category.

The Viking invasions of England extended over more than 200 years, provoking generations of despair and fear among the English people. The fragility of their Christian civilization and culture was exposed as it repeatedly hung by a thread in the face of great brutality. This inspired agonized examinations of why God would allow such things to be done to his people.

Yet with a dogged and determined faith, the end result was the uniting of England and the conversion of the Viking conquerors to Christianity, along with all of Scandinavia. Barely remembered acts of courage and faith (and no few unremembered ones) made England (thus the world) what it is.

How a savage and materialistic people such as the Vikings came to be monks, missionaries and church builders when exposed to the Christians they conquered is the subject of this book.

The volume differs from others (or at least the 2 I have read) on the Viking period in that it focuses on how the two peoples understood the world. It is this understanding that shapes historical events. Thus, one learns more about those years in the first 30 pages of this book than in all of Gwyn Jones classic "A History of the Vikings".

For example, where Jones might describe Viking family histories with "... the superstructure is often shaped by arbitrary assumptions on the nature of history itself" (very illuminating, no?), Cavill instead focuses on the role of ideas: how people understood what was happening to them and their nation in a context defined by their Christian faith.

Perhaps the majority of modern historians, being secular, lack the inclinationto pursue this line of study, or more probably the discernment to see it as important, but faith appears in sermons of the time, the lives of saints, in seemingly secular accounts of battles, in the prose of chronicles and in other sources shaped by a Christianity deeply shocked by the Viking violation. Virtually every expression from that time revolves around fear of the Vikings and its intersection with Christian faith. To instead focus on descriptions of grave contents or speculate about variations in layout of Viking villages is to drain history of what's important.

Thus, I was excited to read this volume by about page 4 of the introduction, as I think others will be, in that it illuminates what happened to the Vikings. It seems to me such knowledge is relevant to the present.

Let the lament of monks evacuating to Ireland as the world crumbled around them, only to have their hand-made gospel book washed overboard in a raging storm, speak across the centuries:

'What shall we do?', they said. 'Where shall we go carrying the relics of the father? For seven years we have travelled across the entire province fleeing from the barbarians, and there is no place of refuge left in the entire country ... In addition to all this we are weighed down by a cruel hunger which forces us to seek relief for our lives, but the sword of the Danes ravaging everywhere will not allow us to travel with this treasure. But if we abandon it, and look after ourselves, what shall we answer Cuthbert's people when they afterward ask us where their pastor and patron is?'

"Vikings: Fear and Faith" looks at a large number of literary sources, recognizing even possible exagerrations (ship counts, etc.) can provide information as to what people were thinking.It considers King Alfred and King Canut as well as other people and institutions. The book has 100 pages of appendices containing original texts translated by the author:

1.The Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum
2.The Battle of Brunanburh
3.The Charter of St. Frideswide's Monastery, Oxford
4.The Loss and Recovery of the Lindisfarne Gospels
5.Archbishop Wulfstan's Address to the English
6.A Letter from Boniface and the Anglo-Saxin Mission in Germany to King Aethelbald of Mercia
7.Swedish Rune-Stones
8.King Alfred's Dedicatory Letter to his Translation of Gregory's Pastoral Care
9.Cynewuld and Cyneheard
10. The Voyage of Ohthere
11. The Voyage of Wulfstan
12. The Battle of Maldon
13. Wyrdwriteras
14. Aethelwold Ousts the Clerics from the Old Minster
15. The Blacksmith's
16. Bede's Concerns About False Monasteries
17. The Old English Beatitudes
18. A Prayer of Confession
19. The Martyrdom of Aelfheah
20. Aelfric's Life of St. Oswald
21. The Martrydom of King Edmund
22. Selections from Abbo's Account of St. Edmund
23. Roger of Wendover's Version of the St. Edmund Legend
24. Lines from the Dream of the Rood ... Read more

Product Description
Although there has been much recent interest in the interaction of England and Ireland in the Viking Age, the links between the Anglo-Saxons and the Irish in the period before 800 have been much less studied. This collection of essays provides the first interdisciplinary assessment of these connections.

The essays range widely in their scope. Seven papers look at issues of language and literature, legal traditions, and ecclesiastical history. A further ten papers consider the evidence of material culture, through art history and archaeology.

This overview of recent advances in the field of Anglo-Saxon/Irish relations will be essential reading for all those interested in early medieval studies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Time Life Books 1 of 22 Volume set
Please read my review of "The Achient Marineers" to get the input regarding this outstanding seruies from Time life books.
Thank You

phenomenal survey
You couldn't ask for a more comprehensive survey of Viking ethnology or one more engaging, or better illustrated. No stone is unturned. The commissioned artworks are spectacular and add a rather profound pictorial (cartoon, one might even say) dimension to the work that is entirely refreshing and original in the field of medieval history (!). From the founding of the Russian state, to the landmark Battle of Hastings to which (among other things) we owe the primacy of the English language, to more run-of-the-mill stuff about simple Scandinavian folk farming and fishing and crafting silver ornaments and amber necklaces, it's all in there--balanced, accurate, and absorbing. Bravo! ... Read more

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A survey of the art and culture of the Norsemen from approximately 800 A.D. to approximately 1100 A.D. ... Read more

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During the Viking Age, York was the most important centre of Scandinavian power and influence in Britain. This book outlines the history of this exciting period and traces the impact which the Viking settlers made. Recent excavation campaigns in the area have shed new light on the life-style of York's Viking age citizens. From the well-preserved remains of their houses and workshops, York Archaeological Trust has put together details of the environment, climate, diet, crafts and trades of the period. Details are also given of costume, arts and fashion, and the beliefs of some of the citizens are examined through their burial rituals. ... Read more

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This series looks at how soldiers, sailors and airmen lived and fought in significant historical times, from ancient Egypt to World War II. Each title contains information, quotes, facts and real-life examples. ... Read more

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Let the battles begin! Way of the Warrior takes readers into the fray with history's most valiant and infamous soldiers for a close look at warriors through the ages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This fascinating book about the warring Vikings will entice even the most reluctant reader!
Vikings, who were originally known as "Northmen" began their fierce raids starting in the late 700s and continued for three hundred years.A startling and brutal raid on a monastery proved they had no mercy and would kill anyone in their path to obtain treasure.No doubt about it, they were a violent lot.Historically little is known about them but the "image of a fierce Viking warrior doing battle with axe and spear lives in history to this day."The little information we do know was documented by English King Alfred the great.As a rule monasteries were considered to be safe havens because they were considered to be holy, but the Vikings took no notice.

Gold, silver and slaves were a heavy attraction and holy or no they would attack to get what they wanted.Historically they were branded as "savage warriors," but history has shown them to also be "skilled traders, farmers, fishermen and craftsmen."Perhaps you have even heard of Erik the Red and Leif Erikson, two famous Vikings whose stories have traveled through the centuries.In this book you will learn about their religious beliefs, their myths, you'll learn about their incredible ships, their weapons, their clothing, how they waged war, their society, you'll learn about runes, and much more!

This fascinating book about the warring Vikings will entice even the most reluctant reader.The book is well written and researched.The exciting introduction sets the scene for the entire book, one that won't disappoint any youngster who reaches for this book.It is a very popular topic, especially with young boys.There are numerous art reproductions, both full color and black and white, scattered throughout the book.In the back of the book is an index, a glossary and additional recommended book, organizations and web site resources.One is from Nova and the other is from the Smithsonian (both are current as of 2010). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great find!!
This whole series of interfact books is excellent. The books and CDs are wonderfulteaching and learning tools for both home and the classroom. The user can interact with both the CD and the book and it allows scope forself correction, and the opportunity to glean many amazing facts from themany games, stories, quizzes, puzzles........ A great find! ... Read more

Product Description
During much of Europe's Middle Ages, the coastal areas of France and England lived in perpetual fear of the Vikings.These hearty Scandinavians were not mere barbaric raiders, as is so often depicted.The fascinating facts of their rich and complex home life, myths and religious customs, diet, music, and sports, as well as their famous longships, are explored in this unique volume. ... Read more

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How was the Norse Navigator able to shape his course across the North Atlantic long before the invention of the magnetic compass? This book tells the story of the Viking Sun Compass and how it allowed the Vikings to sail across the Atlantic. In 1948, the Danish archaeologist C.L. Vebæk found the remains of a small wooden disc at the Viking Age site of Uunartoq in Greenland. Since then the Master mariners Carl V. Sver and Sen Thirslund have interpreted this find as a navigational instrument. This book is the essence of more than forty years of archaeological studies, discussions and practical sea-going experiments. The author gives a full account of the history of the find and demonstrates convincingly how Viking Age Navigators could make use of this and other simple devices in order to find their way across the vastness of the Northern Atlantic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Bit Thin
This is a publication of the Viking Ship Museum, so you certainly get their view of Viking navigation which is bearing-dial centric. Having said that, the book is a tad pricey at 41 pages, contains mostly black and white illustrations of mediocre quality, and is padded to a fair degree with anecdotes concerning the people who did the original fact finding for the theories contained herein. This book is bearing-dial centric and dismisses the use of sun stones. Suggest Karlsen's book first. It is sun stone centric, a much more controversial theory, but includes a lot more peripheral material, then to this one if you require completeness in the artea of bearing-dials. ... Read more

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The 'Excavating the Past' series presents information on classical civilizations and the archaeological work carried out to reveal how our ancestors lived long ago. The series is designed for children working at Key Stage Two. ... Read more

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In the Viking world, what were things, nithings and althings?

Who was the Viking king who "won for himself all Denmark and Norway, and made the Danes Christians?"

Explore the world of The Vikings with the help of maps, charts, diagrams and detailed illustrations.

The author, Mike Corbishley, is an experienced writer of children's books on history, and is the Head of Education and Interpretation at English Heritage. The consultant, Dr. Julian Richards, is a lecturer in archaeology at the University of York. ... Read more

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This Gazetteer aims to be a comprehensive guide to places, artefacts and material in Yorkshire of Anglo-Saxon and Viking interest - AD400-1100. A glossary of terms and advice about access to churches and museums is included.PART 1 provides background material with illustrations about the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, The Early Church, church building styles and architecture, plans and features of Anglo-Saxon churches, crossheads, cross-shafts, grave covers and grave markers.PART 2 identifies 282 sites with the aim of enabling the reader to know what they are looking for and where exactly to look. In alphabetical order and divided into East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and York, each entry is star rated to indicate the quality of what there is to see and how easy it is to find, and precisely located and described, including measurements and descriptions of decoration where appropriate.The author has published guidebooks identifying historic sites from prehistory to 1945 in Orkney, Shetland, Northumberland & Tyne and Wear. This Gazetteer is the first in a series identifying Anglo-Saxon and Viking sites others will follow. ... Read more