A History of the Vikings Gwyn Jones. Oxford printing, 3rd pressing.
"An utterly splendid book, quite the most brilliantly written,
balanced, and explanative general work on the Vikings ever to appear in
English or in any language."- Scandinavian Studies
The subject of this
book is the Viking realms Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, their
civilization and culture, and their many sided achievements at home and
abroad. A highly readable narrative follows the development of these
Northern peoples-the Nordmenn- from their origins and the legendary
pre-history to the military triumphs of Canute and the defeat of Harald
HardrĂ¡di at Stamford Bridge in 1066, which symbolically ended the Viking
age.
The book recounts the Vikings' exploits in war, trade, and
colonization: the assault on Western Christendom; the trading and
military ventures to the Slav and Muslim worlds and to Byzantium; and
the western voyages of discovery and settlement to Greenland, Iceland,
and America. Numerous photographs, maps, and drawings contribute to Gwyn
Jones's rounded portrait of Viking civilization and vividly evoke the
importance in their culture of religion, art, and seafaring.