The Norsemen in the Viking Age (The Peoples of Europe) [Paperback]

Eric Christiansen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1405149647 | ISBN-13: 978-1405149648 | Publication Date: July 31, 2006

This history of the Nordic peoples in the period 750-1050 focuses on their homelands and colonies, demonstrating the fluidity and incoherence of the world in which they lived.

Considers the Nordic peoples in Viking times without undue recourse to developmental theories.

Guides readers through some of the scholarly controversies surrounding these peoples.

Illustrated by reference to runic, poetic and archaeological evidence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is an interesting, often informative and provocative book." The Medieval Review

"[A] thought-provoking survey of, and engagement with, the whole gamut of Viking-age activities and resulting scholarship." Saga Book

"This book is an absolute delight, a quirky, hard-hitting potpourri to be dipped into and savoured by anyone even remotely interested in the period … Altogether this is a lively, provocative and stimulating book, strongly recommended to anyone with interest in early medieval Europe or indeed any reader seeking entertainment." History July 2007

Book Description

This history separates the Nordic peoples from such organizing principles & describes life in their homelands & colonies in terms of more or less ingenious responses to hostile environments at one & overseas. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell (July 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405149647
• ISBN-13: 978-1405149648
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,395,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on the norsemen, April 28, 2003

By 

M. Campo "hairus" (Murcia, Murcia Spain) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Norsemen in the Viking Age (The Peoples of Europe) (Hardcover)

I am really amazed that no-one has reviewed this book before. Anyway, I should say that this is one of the best books on the vikings ever! It offers an updated vision on the norsemen using several approaches (archaeology, literature, anthropology). The bibliography is extensive and very recent in general. Forget the many available introductions to the vikings and buy this one instead. It really deserves it (believe an Old Norse language and literature specialist tired of introductory books saying almost the same over and over again). Be it as it may, you will check after reading this book how wrong you were about the vikings...so far.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ever notice It's always the other guy who's the Viking, May 23, 2007

By 

Douglas E. Libert "howitt" (parkersburg wv) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Norsemen in the Viking Age (The Peoples of Europe) (Paperback)

The word viking is beginning to mean less and less when describing the Scandanavian cultures during the 900's.Alot of viking villages are set up to protect them from the vikings?The Anglo-Saxon kings of england were one time officialy listed as "sea-raiders"and almost every tribe in europe who had acess to a river or sea engaged in trade and (piracy).This book is lively and uses alot of sources from the period some of them so ribald they rate a PG,particularly those "men at sea" tales.I hadn't known some of those jokes were that old.When I first saw a picture of a colorfully painted viking boat in the Bayeux tapestry,I thought it must have been an artists rendition,but from reading this book I realize the pictures are actual,because the vikings took such pride in their crafts that included elaborate carvings and richly colored vessels.But as the author says,it would be one thing to reconstruct a viking boat,but could one ever reconstruct a real viking crew. Not in this day and age,the best we could come up with would be a bland imitation probably."Viking" towns were really loose confederations of families and tribes and there was no mass swarm of population by a powerful Viking government (due to Scandavian lack of birth control)onto a terrorized cringing Europe.The archaeological evidence put forth by this author shatters alot of the "Viking trading centers of power" theses I've previously read.The populations of these towns were small and there were no major viking cities to rival Rome.All the populations centers were located along the coastal areas.It seemed to me that the Scandanavians really became a great people when they mixed and adapted to the indiginous cultures already established in the areas they settled.After a read of this book a person would have to be very skeptical of those miraculous conversions of pagan Viking sea -kings to Christianity and all the bells and whistles of divine ecstasy. Seems that the Norse were quick to see "a hawk from a handsaw" and could sniff out political opportunity as it arose.The conversion to Christianity was not overnight but over generations (with pagan lapses) as the European political wind blew.When the (Viking?)Northmenadapt the Roman and Frankish culture they make something unique--the Normans-such a mixture of art,industry,law, and brutality,it still astounds.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars serious study of all information about Vikings, September 6, 2007

By 

R. Goodson (Northern Scotland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Norsemen in the Viking Age (The Peoples of Europe) (Paperback)

A required reading book for Asatru, Heathens, Neo-Norse and the like who want an accurate picture of the state of what we know and don't know about the northern world.
The author's mastery of diverse and abundant source material on the subjects, coupled with a slightly ironic flavor of wit is quite engaging. Although not written to a audience of high school level, and needing some relevant background in the area to be understandable, the read is really enjoyable. Some common pitfalls are avoided in northern research; others pointed out and elaborated on. I especially enjoyed a bit of a rant on sociological "science" interpretive culture fictions, and the clearly well thought out critical comments on university, tourist and sociological aspects to capitalizing on northern myth and legend. Not a book for those wishing to have a light read on blood drinking sea dogs, but a serious study of all information about a long ago time and region.