The Viking.

by Unknown

Archeological research, on-site digs, and historical records combine to produce this lavishly illustrated account of the Vikings.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Archaeology, Military Fiction

287 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Unknown" when the author or editor (as applicable) is not known and cannot be discovered. If at all possible, list at least one actual author or editor for a book instead of using "Unknown".

Books whose authorship is purposefully withheld should be attributed instead to Anonymous.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a large, "coffee-table" book that my father picked up when I was a child. It sparked a lot of my early interest in Viking Age history, and it's one of the few I kept from his collection when we were cleaning out their house. Good integration of text and graphics, which include photos, drawings, and maps. I like how it covers warfare and Viking raids adequately, while also doing justice to the Norse as colonists and traders, and covering topics such as religion and the role of women. Somewhat dated in its scholarship (not that I'm well qualified to judge, but see the section on the Norse settlement in North America or example). Still worth having for the graphics in spite of this, and much of the text holds up just fine.

[Bill W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Toward the end of “The Viking” there is a discussion of differences in house construction between Vikings and “pre-Viking Age” Scandinavians. I realized that I had nearly finished the book and still didn’t know the precise definition of “Viking Age” (although I can guess) nor the difference between Vikings and “pre-Viking Age” Scandinavians. It turns out that neither question is answered in the book. This is an example of why I found the book so frustrating. It contains a lot of interesting information but feels incoherent. It has a large bibliography but feels mostly speculative. It has a large picture book format but contains mostly line drawings and cartoons. It is worthwhile reading but I imagine there are better (and more recent) books out there.

[Magnús · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alger gullmoli þessi bók. Mjög góður texti og þýðing, prentuð á vandaðan pappír, prýðilegar ljósmyndir, frábærar teikningar og öll hönnun til fyrirmyndar. Nautn að lesa og fletta. Ekki hika við að kippa henni með ef þið rekist á hana á fala til kaups (það gerði ég - fann mitt eintak fyrir klink í Góða hirðinum). Það er stórmerkilegt að svona rit skuli hafa komið út hér á landi svo snemma sem 1967. Eflaust besta bókin um víkingamenninguna og sögu þeirra sem enn hefur komið út á íslensku. Einfaldlega klassík.

[Michael Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on Viking Age culture in Scandinavia. Profusely illustrated with geographical and archaeological photography and very fine line drawings.

The book scores in covering all aspects of Viking Age commerce, agriculture, settlements, crafts, social structure, etc., instead of just focusing on the more glamorous and exciting topic of actual Viking raids. It's a comprehensive and fascinating account of the background of this era of Northern European history.

[Andesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who didn’d have any kind of information about viking before I find it very informatiove, but personally I’d like to know more about their laws theri lifestyle than their boats.
However is serious work from the proffesors who made this book.
I would reccomend

[Ben]

A very thorough resource, with information on nearly every aspect of Viking life, complete with illustrations and photography from archaeological finds.

[Eric Olson]

This is an older book that my father gave me. It is a little outdated, but a great source for my research.