Great Vikings

At the height of their power in the ninth and tenth centuries, the Vikings seemed invincible - conquering well-armed warriors whose ships were the ultimate in seafaring technology. From island bases near the deltas of major rivers, they used the waterways to scour the countryside, looting and burning towns, plundering merchant shipments, and stripping churches and monasteries of their gold, silver, and jeweled treasures.

Viking London is a short book of the hidden history, archaeology and folklore of London in the Viking Age and its echoes through history. The narrative history that can be told is limited, and this book is, therefore, unorthodox and digressive in its structure and its layering of voices, impressions and characters, stories, objects and buildings.

The Vikings were a seafaring people from the late eighth to early 11th century who established a name for themselves as traders, explorers and warriors. They discovered the Americas long before Columbus and could be found as far east as the distant reaches of Russia. While these people are often described as savages raiding the more civilized nations for treasure and women, the motives and culture of the Viking people are much more diverse.

Over the centuries the West has become fascinated by the Vikings, one of the most mysterious and interesting European civilizations. In addition to being perceived as a remarkably unique culture among its European counterparts, what's known and not known about the Vikings' accomplishments has added an intriguing aura to the historical narrative. Were they fierce and fearsome warriors? Were they the first Europeans to visit North America?

This is an excellent introduction to the history of this often misunderstood time. Although it is a story written in broad strokes, of an extremely complicated period, particularly in the development of Britain, the author has peppered it with some fascinating details of the people and the events of the time.

A fines del siglo IX los vikingos atacaron París como parte de la gran campaña del Sena que habían iniciado por esos tiempos. Los saqueadores escandinavos, valiéndose de poderosos navíos para realizar sus devastadoras incursiones en territorio francés. Pero los vikingos no se esperaban la respuesta de los francos, quienes ofrecieron su vida en defensa de su ciudad. Sea testigo de la feroz batalla entre el poderío vikingo y el pueblo parisino en esta impresionante crónica histórica.

The Viking Age! A brief footprint in the course of history that impacted generations hundreds of years into the future. You will dive into the depths of Scandinavia to find out what made the Vikings the most feared group of people in the European Middle Ages. Experts at warfare and navigating the high seas, the Vikings were on a mission and would not let anyone stand in their way! Brutal conquerors they were, but the Vikings were no mere savages. The Vikings had a unique culture and society that spread much influence through transcontinental trade and exploration into unknown worlds.

This is the classic - and somewhat clichéd - image of the Vikings, and their fearsome reputation was in many respects well deserved, the Norse sagas charting their deeds in all their lurid glory. But over the past century, thanks to a wealth of new archaeological evidence, a much more nuanced picture of the Vikings has emerged, providing profound insights into one of the most astonishing, misunderstood, and adaptable of European civilizations.

Ningún pueblo de la época medieval fue tan temido, odiado y sujeto a las más diversas leyendas. Sus avances en la navegación, armas, organización social y particular mitología, los haría la ola migratoria más importante y significativa de los primeros tiempos de la Cristiandad. Fue tal el pavor de los pueblos atacados que cuando se escuchaba a lo lejos sus gritos de guerra, este rezo se volvía común: "Señor, apártanos de la ira de los varegos".