Vikings: The Battle at the End of Time

Ancient Civilisations: life, myth and art #5

by Tony Allan

A superbly illustrated introduction to the famously warlike seafaring peoples of Scandinavia - a civilisation with a vivid mythology of gods, dwarves and magic, as well as a heritage of brilliant craftsmanship.

Viking artefacts discovered across a vast geographical range, from Russia and modernday Turkey to Greenland and North America, bear witness to an artistic legacy that astonishes by its beauty, wealth and diversity. This richly illustrated introduction to an extraordinary people presents an art of immense sophistication, ranging from exquisite
gold jewellery to superbly decorated weapons of war, breathtakingly intricate woodcarvings, and vividly incised and painted runestones.

This north European civilisation has always had a special place in the popular imagination.The Vikings reflects favourite themes, the restless spirit of these warrior-explorers and their extraordinary voyages in quest of trade as well as adventure, booty, conquest and glory; the mighty pantheon of gods and goddesses such as Odin,
Freyja, Thor and the mischief-making trickster Loki; the mysteries of the afterlife, including Valhalla (land of dead warriors) and the Underworld domain of the goddess Hel; the warrior cult, which produced the terrifying Berserks (fighters who believed themselves to be possessed by wolves or bears in battle); and the ceremonies and
sacrifices that accompanied the magnificent longship burials of the Viking chieftains.

A superb addition to any library of art and the imagination, The Vikings sets new standards in capturing the achievements of an ancient civilisation through the marriage of word and image.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Mythology, Art, Medieval, Reference, European History

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

After studying History at Oxford, Tony Allan worked for the British Broadcasting Company and as a magazine editor before turning to book publishing, including the Myth and Mankind series.

Reviews

[Elin Eriksen]

(I have read the Norwegian translation by Berit Nøkleby)

This is a great introduction into the Viking era for children and those who knows very little about the Viking era to begin with. It leaves out the sordid aspects, it is well researched which means there are no loosely based guesswork in this book. I really appreciated that there are a lot of information from before year 1000 which is rarer to come by.
The illustrations was fabulous.
With that said, this is getting old in the sense that a lot of new discoveries have been made the last twenty years and this book is from 2002.

[Peter]

A good solid beginners guide to the Vikings, beautifully illustrated.

[Tessa]

This is a good overview of the Viking period. The book is well laid out and has a beautiful design, including lots of lovely pictures.

[Terri]

Nothing wildly revolutionary about the information found in this book. If you know your Vikings then you probably know most of what is written here already.
The best thing about this book is not the information - which is perfectly appropriate for the reader who has limited knowledge on Vikings and wants to learn more (it is perfect for that) - no, the best thing is the collation of photos and images. A great collection of artefact and archaeological images put together in a nice tactile book.

[Triinu]

Minu arvamuse leiab blogist https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...

[Pete daPixie]

Perhaps this book is aimed at a readership of school aged students rather than old Celts like myself. It generally covers a wide range of aspects of the Norse world, the geographical spread, art, trading links, mythology, culture, sagas, their period in history and their terrifying raiding through north west Europe.
The informative text is accompanied with many illustrations and great photographs. Sadly, my copy is a local library book and as I discovered at the end of my read, is missing the last thirty pages! I went berserk.
However I certainly prefer the Vikings presented by Tony Allen than those of Tony Curtis.

[Isa Lot]

Es la segunda vez que leo este libro y me encanta. Es una historia resumida sobre el mundo vikingo, tanto de sus costumbres, sus creencias, la política, la guerra... es muy completo y lo he disfrutado mucho.

[Valentina Markasović]

Drage ću volje popiti pivo
Visoko gore s obitelji Aesir
Moji dani na zemlji su odbrojani.
Smijem se dok umirem.

[Anibal]

Tony Allan wrote dozens of fine introductions to several mythological and historical subjects, and this book is another good example of that. It’s important to notice that this edition isn’t the first. It was already published under several other names, but it’s the same work. So if you already have or read “Vikings: the Battle at the End of Time” or “The Vikings; Life, Myth, and Art” you probably shouldn’t buy this product (it’s the same material).

With amazing photographs of artifacts, architecture, woodcarving and landscapes, you will get a sense of wonder and interesting information related to the Viking expansion (both the Danish conquests in the south, the Swedish settling and commerce in the east and the impressive Norwegian and Icelandic explorations and settlements.

The psychology of the Nord is well explored, including their myths and beliefs with the major legends visited and interpreted. After you read this introduction you will want to read a few more books advised in the further reading section.

[Bill38silver]

This is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the incredible influence of the Vikings as raiders and traders, far and wide, but also as creators and producers of intricate works of art adorning weapons, jewellery, wood carvings and lucky charms. Evidently, the Viking world was full of hard working, hard drinking macho types (with scarcely any mention of involvement or influence of women).

The early sections of this lavishly produced book setting out the history of the Viking peoples is very well put together. However, I found the detail of Norse mythology only mildly interesting. The photos of artefacts, and some luscious scenery, are worth the effort: the book is easily able to be read in one sitting.

[Isabella Espinal]

“The Vikings” has been a great treat for me! Allan’s writing is spot on, both witty and comedic, where it counts. This book teaches amateur audiences about the life, times, gods, culture, and of course, long ships, of the Viking age. I very much enjoyed learning from this book and it has kindled my desire to research Viking culture, berserkers, longships, and art. I hope anyone who reads this enjoys it as much as I did.

[Syd]

A thorough introduction to Viking culture. Easy to follow for kids, but still interesting.

Included several great photos of artifcats, but also some terrible qulaity photos that added nothing to book.

[Lison]

Interesting but I wish there was more about women.

[Queenstacelareads]

This is a good overview of the Viking age and culture. This is surprisingly dense for a shorter book with a lot of pictures.

[Sole]

Good summary of the Viking way of life.

[I'mogén]

This was a very interesting read, made better with photos and illustrations. I believe this was not an excellent source of information though because certain terms, for me: the average person, was uncomprehending. Many times I read repetitions and I just was not entirley focused for the most part. It does, however, guarantee a basic background of Vikings and the Norse mythology, that I think any myth geek will appreciate. A nice, quick fix of knowledge.

Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! ^^
Gén

[Justin Thurn]

Another overview of Viking equipment, beliefs, culture, etc.

If you want a quick read to get broad ideas about what made the Vikings who they were, read this book. The pictures, maps, and descriptions are enough to whet your appetite. Just don't expect extraordinary detail.

[Tyler]

I read this book for some research for a novel I'm working on. Lots of great information, good maps, lots of great pictures showing examples of art styles and other good information. I learned a lot.

[Novalynda Black]

Interessante inleiding in de geschiedenis van de Vikingen. Veel mooie afbeeldingen, maar had iets beter vertaald mogen worden.

[Zlatan Vajnberger]

Everything was covered, quite educational

[Felix Borchgrevink Haave]

God innføring i vikingene, som er en stolt del av norsk historie.