Topsail and Battleaxe: A Voyage in the Wake of the Vikings [Paperback]

Tom Cunliffe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

Tom Cunliffe and his wife, Ros, gathered their four-year-old daughter and a couple of friends and embark on an amazing expedition sailinh north from England to Norway, bashing their way westward from Norway to Iceland, then past Greenland to L'Anse aux Meadows in Northern Newfoundland in the 75 year-old pilot cutter Hirta. Their burning desire to retrace the explorations of the 10th century Vikings is told with gusto, and Cunliffe interweaves stories of Viking adventures with Hirta's progress, relating a great deal about ancient Viking history and showing that the VIking spirit still lives on in present-day Scandinavians

Editorial Reviews

Review

[A] highly readable and knowledgeable book. -- Sea History, Winter 1998-1999

About the Author

Tom Cunliffe is a well-known British writer and sailing enthusiast who's Bristol Channel Pilot cutter Hirta is familiar to TV viewers in the UK.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574090453
• ISBN-13: 978-1574090451
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,868,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laid back true adventure., July 24, 2000

By 

Sailoil - See all my reviews

This review is from: Topsail and Battleaxe: A Voyage in the Wake of the Vikings (Paperback)

This is the story of a voyage across the north atlantic to retrace the great voyages of the Viking era. Sailing in a Bristol cutter the brave crew undertake to go north instead of the traditional southerly route favoured by us in already high latitudes. Dressed for cold in their best salvaged clothing this book captures the real flavour of the long night watches (complete with nonsense poetry) the heart stopping excitement of rough weather sailing and all the real adventure that is open to anyone who can cadge a boat and a few charts. We come to know the cutter very well as a boat, and in Norway there is an opportunity to compare it in the water against the Femboring, a modern day descendant of the traditional Viking ship. There are interesting tales of the attitudes of Customs officers to bonded whisky and of the differences between drinkers and Christians in Norway. The book is enticing in its description of sailing in northern latitudes and may even convince me to consider a jaunt up towards the Faroes myself. More than just a sailing book this is a good reading book and a great way of working in a little Viking history to a light read.