Viking Britain
A History
Format:Paperback
Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers
Published:9th Aug '18
Should be back in stock very soon
This book explores the Viking Age's rich history, revealing how Vikings settled and influenced British culture, beyond just raiding. Viking Britain provides a deeper understanding of their legacy.
In Viking Britain, Thomas Williams presents a fresh narrative history of the Viking Age, intricately weaving together the exploration of the physical remnants and landscapes shaped by the Vikings. From rune-stones and ship burials to settlements and battlefields, the book invites readers to engage with the tangible evidence of Viking life and influence across Britain. This exploration goes beyond the well-known tales of violence and raids, offering a more nuanced understanding of a complex society.
The term 'Viking' often conjures images of marauding warriors, yet Viking Britain challenges this narrow perception. Williams delves into the turbulent history of the period, highlighting the powerful figures who shaped it, such as Svein Forkbeard and Alfred the Great. While acknowledging the brutality that characterized the Viking Age, he emphasizes that the Vikings were also settlers and rulers, whose legacies have profoundly impacted British culture and society.
Drawing on new academic research and his experience as a curator for the British Museum's exhibition on Vikings, Williams reveals how Scandinavian settlers influenced language, literature, and folklore that resonate to this day. By examining the echoes of the Viking presence in modern history, Viking Britain offers a vital reflection on a forgotten world, enriching our understanding of its implications for the present and future.
‘Fresh, vivid and impeccably researched … the most rip-roaring work of nonfiction I read this year’ Tom Holland, Observer, Books of the Year
‘Williams’ infectiously enthusiastic book gives you everything you could want from a history of the Vikings’ Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times, Books of the Year
‘A debut that pulses with the author’s passion for his subject and his mastery of written sources, archaeology and legend. Williams narrates a complex story in enjoyable, lusty prose’ Dan Jones, Sunday Times
‘Viking Britain [is] an engrossing account … Williams is scrupulous to avoid the easy pub-chat message. He writes fluently and with feeling’ Thomas W. Hodgkinson, Spectator
'Williams is a master at conveying the atmosphere of Viking Britain … We are guests at a sensory feast, at times immersed … and at others guided by the comforting hand of firm historical evaluation. Viking Britain is a giddy ride … a real treat’ Philip Parker, Literary Review
‘Williams evocative prose puts flesh on sturdy academic bones. ‘Viking Britain’ is a pleasure to read… a lively, colourful book that explores in high definition what being a Viking really meant. Williams … succeeds where many have failed: to make the truth about the Vikings as entertaining as the fiction’ Giles Kristian, The Times
‘An exemplary work of popular history, at once full of the most up-to-date archaeology and international scholarly thought, and full of the literary flourishes which bring the past most vividly to life for readers: dramatic reconstruction, physical scene-setting and authorial intervention. It is a great success’ Ronald Hutton
‘A fundamentally new history of the Vikings in Britain: authoritative, at times controversial, and above all a personal journey through the byways of life under Scandinavian military occupation … A real pleasure to read’ Professor Neil Price, University of Uppsala
ISBN: 9780008171957
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 28mm
Weight: 330g
416 pages