What Life Was Like When Longships Sailed: Vikings Ad 800-1100 [Hardcover]

Time-Life Books (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1998 | Series: What Life Was Like

What Life Was Like When Longships Sailed: Vikings Ad 800-1100

Product Details

• Hardcover: 142 pages
• Publisher: Time Life Education; 2nd edition (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0783554540
• ISBN-13: 978-0783554549
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,321,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where does it say that this is supposed to be for younger readers?, April 10, 2007

By 

Spibbles (the frozen tundra) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Life Was Like When Longships Sailed: Vikings Ad 800-1100 (Hardcover)

I've scanned the entire page for this book here at Amazon.com and looked on the inside cover of the book itself when I borrowed it from the library to read. Nowhere can I find an indication that this book is directed at young readers. Therefore I must take issue with other user reviews for this book that criticize it for being inappropriate for teens. It wasn't INTENDED for teens; should it be so surprising that it contains material that some people would consider in appropriate for them?

Yes, the book contains references to the procreative activities of the mythological figure Rig. Yes, it discusses the sacrifice of a young slave girl during a chieftain's funeral (although, as the original account by Ibn Fadhlan states, the girl was not as "unwilling" as another review would indicate: she did, in fact, volunteer for the task and was treated with "great courtesy" before the ceremony).

It discusses these things because they were part of the culture of the so-called Vikings. It discusses them because they are what this book is ABOUT. Should we intentionally omit pertinent information regarding aspects of the culture of the Northmen just because it may offend our modern-day, Christianity-based sensibilities? That seems a narrow-minded, ethnocentric and thoroughly unscientific way of doing things to me.

I can also understand one being "disturbed" by (but not "with") the material in this book, especially if one is not familiar with Viking culture, but to then claim that the material is "opinionated" (or even "opionated") is quite silly. I don't know what basis one would have for making such a claim, since most if not all of the material I encountered in this book I've encountered in other, very well respected books on the subject, not to mention in the existing primary sources.

The book itself is just what it presents itself to be: a relatively short, fairly well written, straightforward overview of both Viking history and Viking society; not too stuffy, scholarly or long-winded; and engaging for the layperson with little knowledge of the subject. I would heartily recommend it to anyone--and that includes teens.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What it was really like, March 23, 2008

By 

S. Plowright (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Life Was Like When Longships Sailed: Vikings Ad 800-1100 (Hardcover)

I am happy that Time-Life didn't dumb this book down for squeamish teenagers or prudish suburban housewives. Life for our ancestors was tough. The historical evidence has been presented in a fair and balanced way, warts & all. This book gives a realistic picture of what life was like, not a Hollywood sanitized version. If our teens knew what life was really like for our ancestors, perhaps they would be more appreciative of the privileged life they have now. I have no problem with my own teenage daughters reading it.

I recommend this book, and series, for anyone interested in history, as a basic introduction, based on sound evidence, with a focus on the life experiences of real people.

Sweyn
Author
The Rune Primer: A Down to Earth Guide to the Runes

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product, November 19, 2007

By 

A. Beam (Oceanside, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Life Was Like When Longships Sailed: Vikings Ad 800-1100 (Hardcover)

This book was very interesting to read on what was life like. I would recommend this to anyone.