This is the Viking history I've been wanting...

...for 20 years, told from a personal, lived-in perspective as much as a bird's eye view of structural patterns. Price does a good job of weaving together the fated contours in which people lived during the Viking period with the choices they made, against or along the grain. This is also the most honest portrayal I've read, unflinching in showing the social hierarchy, from sexism to slavery, while still celebrating the art and genius of the same people.

11 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Outstanding

An incredible history book in general. If you're looking for a comprehensive history of the Viking this is the book you're looking for. I had written out a lengthier review which didn't get recorded for some reason after I saved it. The Great History lecture series on the Vikings is good for sure but this book goes more in depth than that series.
And because christopher doty's review in Audible doesn't clarify what exactly he means by "rewriting history in order to make it fit into their politixal ideals". I can say anyone that finds this book "too political" would be the type of person that finds Mr. Rogers too political. (Ignoring the fact the book literally talks about 'Viking Politics' for a moment). I'll go ahead and assume he was talking about Viking sexuality which the author talks about at length. He does mention that the Sagas and Norse mythology says that Odin has sex with both men and women. The author also mentions what would be called in modern times "transgender" burials discovered of men wearing women's clothing and women dressed in battle regalia. He says the Vikings might have had different concepts of gender, as our own culture does for non-binary, trans, etc, but that we shouldn't just assume they only had male and female. That was the point he was making in that section of the book. A SHOCKING statement to make for an archaeologist "don't forget to separate our own cultural views from those of the past". He also mentions that in Viking culture there were people that could shapeshift into wolves, bears, and ravens. So for his broader point we can't know exactly what all they thought about the genders of such beings and the people in general unless they wrote it down. The author substantiates all of his claims with written documents and known discoveries throughout and states points he's making that are unknown but speculated. This book is amazing and you'll love it if you're interested in general history or the Vikings.

8 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Viking history through a "woke" lens

I could tell this one was going to be left-leaning, which I can usually handle, but I returned it after hearing the phrase "male gaze." Sorry, I dabble in history to escape the 21st century.

Samuel Roukin's voice performance is incredible, however. He has an insistent, masculine, classic delivery that deserves better material.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Rewriting history and making wild assumptions.

Would he great had the writer not focused on twisting and rewriting history in order to make it fit into their politixal ideals.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Truly living history

Probably the best historical narrative I have ever encountered. The topics flow together almost seamlessly.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Scholarly and poetic

The only book I ever read that made sense of the vikings. Scholarly but never dry, fascinating yet rigorous. And the stories! A must if you live Norse culture and history! The narrator is first class!

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Woke version of the Vikings.

Intriguing information on development of Viking culture. Current information from archeology. Political opinion included free.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A new take on vikings

Well written, competently blazing through old Scandinavian marxist notions of how Viking society should be. A breath of air and an extremly good read. The narration was also of the highest quality.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Viking MUST read!

A MUST READ for all interested in the Vikings and history. These people had influence far and wide, not previously understood.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Good introduction to the Vikings

This is a slightly wandering book with solid narration and entertaining authorial asides. If you just associate Vikings with Kirk Douglas and Ernest Borgnine, this is a great place to learn the true, non-Hollywood history of the Norsemen.