The Last of the Vikings: The Sagas of Gustav Adolf and Karl XII

by John Eklund

The Viking Age began like a violent thunderstorm in the year 793 when a band of Norse warriors raided Lindisfarne, a small island off the coast of ancient England. For the next three hundred years, these fearless men dominated life on the European continent. Contrary to popular belief, the Viking aura was not extinguished at the dawn of the second millennium. In truth, it lasted far longer. In a fascinating saga divided into three parts, John Eklund begins by recounting the exploits of some of the most famous Vikings from 793 to 1066, and then describes the adventures of the two latter day heroes from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Gustav Adolf and Karl XII, who through their incredible courage and fighting skills, proved they were worthy of the same level of praise and admiration as their seafaring warrior ancestors. The Last of the Vikings is a concise collection of sagas that shines a spotlight on the hero warriors of the Viking Age that include the greatest of the Norsemen and the king who lost an empire but saved a nation.

Genres: Nonfiction

154 pages, Hardcover

Published January 31, 2021

About the author

John Eklund is a Norse mythology and European history buff, and author of the historical fiction novels, The Third Testament and Siegfried: The Liberator of Germania. John resides with his wife, three children, and three dogs in the Chicago suburbs.

Reviews

[Signy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone in Scandinavia who wants to understand our history and the influence we had on early Europe.

[John Eklund · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last of the Vikings is a historically accurate, richly illustrated book about the fierce Vikings of yore and two of their Viking-like descendants, Gustav Adolf (Gustavus Adolphus) and Karl XII (Charles XII). The book is intended for tweens and teens with an interest in the notorious Norsemen, but especially for Swedes with pride in their national heritage.