Vikings: Warriors, Raiders, and Masters of the Sea (Volume 29) (Oxford People, 29)

Very good book for people who are just starting out studying Vikings! Helped me a lot

Mystical read

This literature is a decent attempt at bringing the Vikings to readers. It is best suited for children and those just entering into the subject matter. Most folks who are into the Vikings will already be aware of a lot this book has to offer a reader. If you are buying this as a gift for someone (an adult) who likes Vikings and has for a while, then stay away from it. They will be like me (who also received this as a gift) and politely thank you for it and chuck it as soon as you leave. Like I, who put it in the donate pile. 1 read, brief amount of time from cover to cover, annnnd it's gone. Again, for those just getting started on Vikings this is as good as it gets.

For over a year I have been casually searching for an adequate book on viking life and culture. When I picked this one up I knew it was what I had in mind. Competing books have large, blocky texts that drone on. This one is broken down into six parts made up of short chapters and subsections of a few paragraphs each. Primary sources are quotes as well. The book is easy to leaf through and find interesting topics to read up on. The 55 chapters include ships & navigation, runes, myths, the legal system, diet & nutrition, everyday life, warfare, profiles on numerous vikings, and many other topics, and even includes a chapter on viking influence on the Third Reich, and one on vikings in popular culture which goes far beyond simply referencing LOTR. The book is illustrated with numerous color drawings, maps and photos, no B&W. Pages of text are not paper white but are colored like parchment. The book comes with a dusk jacket which I removed and shows the same cover art underneath on its textbook style binding. I doubt anyone looking for a book on vikings could be disappointed with this one and I expect that many will agree with me that it is the best books on the market for someone seeking an introduction to the vikings.

An excellent book fits my needs: aimed at laymen, easy reading, organized, well-illustrated, covers all aspects of the society as well as the history, with some of the latest finds referenced which helps sell the authenticity. I'm half-Danish and visited Copenhagen for a month many years ago. Mention of longships always attract me, along with the Vikings. Castleden comes as close as anyone in helping me understand how Vikings could deal with the English and French and others as both pirates and traders. Includes a chapter consisting of a Who's Who of the Viking Age. Index. Highly recommended.