The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings (Oxford Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)

by Peter Sawyer (Editor) "The peoples these Scandinavians encountered gave them a variety of names: Franks normally called them Northmen or Danes, while for the English they were generally..." (more)
Key Phrases: mast partner, heathen men, island monastery, European Russia, Old Norse, Charles the Bald (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Everyone feared the Vikings during their three centuries of terror, which lasted roughly from the start of the 8th century to the end of the 11th century. They are best remembered as cruel pagan raiders from the frigid north, but their vibrant warrior culture also managed to transform the north Atlantic and much of Russia through trade and settlement. Their seafaring exploits, passed down through the generations in a series of entertaining sagas, led them to Iceland, Greenland, and even North America (which they called "Vinland"). These accomplishments are truly extraordinary, and reveal how a group of people often belittled as cruel brutes actually expanded the frontiers of human knowledge. Peter Sawyer has pulled together a group of accomplished scholars, including Janet L. Nelson and Simon Keynes, to contribute chapters to this attractive, full-color volume. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings contains the very latest information available about the Vikings and their often violent--but always intriguing--ways. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"the truest picture yet of the Vikings and their age."--Publishing News


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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192854348
• ISBN-13: 978-0192854346
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #319,611 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive, intelligent history of the Vikings, April 6, 1999

By	Susan Zuckerman (Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings (Oxford Illustrated Histories) (Hardcover)

This is one of the best books on the Vikings I've ever read (and I've read dozens!). With numerous contributors from many universtities, each chapter is written with detailed authority and offers a fresh perspective. The chonology at the back of the book is a bonus feature. My only criticism is that, depspite chapters on exploration to the west (what I consider to be the most important legacy of the Vikings), Sawyer still tends to let the British perspective of victimization by the Vikings dominate the book.

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fair, June 7, 2003

By A Customer

This book falls below what I would expect from Oxford (at least the traditional Oxford of yester-year). The pictures are nice as well as a lot of the text. The main problem with this book is the chapter "The Vikings in History and Ledgend." The author of this essay insinuates that those who take pride in their Viking heritage are Nazis. This chapter is full of inappropriate partisan politics and hurts this book. It reads like propoganda straight out of a typical ADL hate tract.
One reader has obviously fallen for this line (see below).
There are far-better books on the Vikings out there. Go for Gwen Jones for a more balanced account.

35 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Christian propaganda about the Vikings endures to this day., September 29, 2004

By	customer - See all my reviews

'The Nazis adopted Viking imagary therefore the Vikings must be Nazis' - was the person who came up with that howler having a blonde moment at the time?

Apart from that gem, the Vikings:

- Interests' lay more in establishing trade routes rather than looting and pillaging cities.
- Had an intricate and surprisingly sophisticated civilization for their time.
- Were heathens (non-Christians) in a period of time in which the rest of Europe was largely Christianized. This was to change over time; some by peaceful adoption of the new religion, others by torture. Still, much of the negative history of the Norsemen was written by Christian scholars...
- Were strongly family-oriented, believing that their strength came from their heritage and the blood of their ancestors.
- Used an alphabet (called a "futhark") consisting of only 16 letters (a reduction of their ancestors' earlier alphabet of 24 letters.)

To this day, their influences can be felt in the language, arts, and literature of modern-day American culture.

Or are you more comfortable with the 'murderous barbarians' conclusion. If not, buy another book.