Historical Atlas of the Viking World (Historical Atlas) [Hardcover]

Angus Konstam (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

About AD 800, mysterious long-ships made their first appearance along the North Sea coast of Britain. From Shetland to the Thames, these raiding ships appeared out of the sea mists, carrying warriors so fierce that no one could stand against them. By the middle of the 9th century, these raiders began to establish settlements, and the raids continued, from Norse bases in Orkney, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. The raiders eventually became rulers, creating Scandinavian colonies in Normandy, England, and Ireland. Around the same time, a few Viking explorers ventured across the Atlantic to America, while others sailed south to Africa, into the Mediterranean, and through the European river systems deep into Russia. This book chronicles their achievements, drawing on archaeological evidence as well as the rich source of Norse Sagas and mythology.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-In spite of the title, maps are not the most useful or impressive feature of this book. In fact, many of the chapters covering such areas as religion and mythology, ships, or warfare contain no maps at all. However, what readers will find in abundance are color photographs, illustrations, and a fair amount of text on these and other topics. The organization is thematic rather than chronological, making it most useful for students who already have some grounding in the history of the early Middle Ages and the Vikings in particular. The photographs of ship, architecture, and weapon reconstructions are complemented by full- and half-page drawings depicting aspects of Viking life and culture. However, as an atlas, this volume is not a success. The maps are colorful and uncluttered, but many places referred to in the text are not shown. For example, a short chapter on the settlement of the Isle of Man does not include a map showing its location. There is no bibliography. Purchase where additional illustrative material or Viking history is needed.
David Pauli, Hillsboro Public Library, OR
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

ANGUS KONSTAM has written over a dozen books on piracy, shipwrecks, and exploration for the Atlas series. He has made a lifelong study of maritime history and archaeology, and the history of early European development. He is a museum professional with experience in both Britain and the United States, and holds degrees in history and archaeology.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Mercury Books (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904668127
• ISBN-13: 978-1904668121
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 8.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,007,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With over 50 history books in print, Angus is a widely recognised and much-published historian. While he specialises in military and naval history he has also written numerous more general history books, designed to make the subject more accessible to a wider audience. Uniquely he has been able to draw on his expertise as a senior museum curator who has worked on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as on his academic training as a historian and as a maritime archaeologist.

His latest book is a full-length biography: Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate, which is published by Wiley & Sons. of New York (June 2006)

Angus is also just finished writing a history of the Allied landings at Salerno in September 1943 for the British publisher Pen & Sword, and he is currently working on a new project, with the working title of Supership: The Quest for the Renaissance Battleship.

Angus lives in Edinburgh, in Scotland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book, April 26, 2003

By 

My Shadow - See all my reviews

This review is from: Historical Atlas of the Viking World (Hardcover)

This is a very attractive book, with lots of pictures and descriptions, and very interesting text. The only disadvantages are the lack of useful maps, chronological data and more complete information regarding family lines. Still, it is a treasure of a book that is hard to put down.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Love this book, February 2, 2003

By 

Jonathan Bixler (Westerly, Rhode Island USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Historical Atlas of the Viking World (Hardcover)

I recently purchased this book and It describes everything you've ever wanted to know. The book starts with pre-viking scandanavia and then goes on to describe how they live, religion, boats, places traveled, warriors, the rise and fall, ect. If you love vikings, you have to get this book. The pictures are beautiful and Angust Konstam is a very well researched author. I also recommend Historical Atlas of the Celtic World.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It's an atlas--it needs more maps, July 11, 2008

By 

Andrew (Brookline, Morocco) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Historical Atlas of the Viking World (Historical Atlas) (Hardcover)

This is a great book for pictures and descriptions. However, there are not too many maps. The other books in this series are fantastic, and they have lots of enlightening maps. This book stands out for not living up to the quality of the rest of the series. 30 maps in 191 pages! There is a 34 page stretch with no maps--42 if you don't count the one 3"x4" map that appears within that stretch! Many maps are just squares on the page with little info. There were only 3 or 4 maps that add visuals that are not in The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings. The Penguin atlas is far superior.