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sage01's review against another edition
3.0
Gosh, it's like women didn't exist in the history of the Viking world, but for a handful of wives, courtesans, mistresses, and queens. I know this book is a survey, but disappearing the lives of 51% of the population does no one any favors. Especially if you're going to title the book after a female deity.
Apart from that, I appreciated the far-reaching geography of this history, ranging from Constantinople to Canada.
Apart from that, I appreciated the far-reaching geography of this history, ranging from Constantinople to Canada.
larryleex's review
It was too heavy on the dates and locations of where they fought or settled. Not enough information about how they actually lived. Also severely lacked information on women in the era .
booksnbeards's review against another edition
4.0
I've always been fascinated by the Vikings, as I'm sure a lot of people are. They were such an interesting society, with unique beliefs and myths that still capture the imagination of people 800~ years after they in a mainstream sense, faded into history.
Parker's book is the most thorough exploration of their history that I've yet read, and I very much enjoyed it. Beginning with their origins and the infamous 'first' Viking raid at the monastery of Lindisfarne, Northmen's Fury breaks down the first hundred years of the Viking Age, their raids and eventual settlement in Normandy, England and Ireland.
From there there is a chapter each going in depth into the Norse settlement of the Faroes and Iceland, the ill-fated colony of Greenland (something I've always been interested in), the failed attempted settlement of North America and Newfoundland, and the Viking usurpation of the fledgling Russian societies and settlements of Novgorod and Kiev.
This was the strongest part of the book - deep-dives into specific subjects are my jam, and the Norse settlement of Greenland and North America are subjects I've always been hugely keen to learn more about - however, they cause the general layout of the book to stumble a little bit, which I'll talk about further down.
After this, Northmen's Fury explores the transition of Scandinavia and Britain from disparate, feuding factions into defined countries and monarchies, and the arrival of Christianity and its effects on Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Finally, it goes into the transformation of the Vikings in the British Isles and France into the Normans, those in eastern Europe into the homologous Rus, and the Battle of Stamford Bridge, and the Battle of Hastings - which are generally accepted as the end of 'Vikings' as a raiding force of warriors.
My main issue with the book is that the first couple of chapters chronologically explore the Viking world as a whole, as do the last few chapters - in the middle, you have those 'deep-dives' that I mentioned above, which go into detail on the various colonies and settlements of the Norse, which follow the chronology of these settlements start-to-end. This makes everything a little bit messy and confusing, as you'll read about people during these deep dives who then die or accomplish something, etc., and then later in the book they'll be re-introduced as part of the larger narrative.
Not a huge complaint, and other than that I very much enjoyed Northmen's Fury - it can be a bit dry, but certainly the best and most extensive exploration of Viking history that I've read. Highly recommend to anybody with an interest in the subject.
Parker's book is the most thorough exploration of their history that I've yet read, and I very much enjoyed it. Beginning with their origins and the infamous 'first' Viking raid at the monastery of Lindisfarne, Northmen's Fury breaks down the first hundred years of the Viking Age, their raids and eventual settlement in Normandy, England and Ireland.
From there there is a chapter each going in depth into the Norse settlement of the Faroes and Iceland, the ill-fated colony of Greenland (something I've always been interested in), the failed attempted settlement of North America and Newfoundland, and the Viking usurpation of the fledgling Russian societies and settlements of Novgorod and Kiev.
This was the strongest part of the book - deep-dives into specific subjects are my jam, and the Norse settlement of Greenland and North America are subjects I've always been hugely keen to learn more about - however, they cause the general layout of the book to stumble a little bit, which I'll talk about further down.
After this, Northmen's Fury explores the transition of Scandinavia and Britain from disparate, feuding factions into defined countries and monarchies, and the arrival of Christianity and its effects on Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Finally, it goes into the transformation of the Vikings in the British Isles and France into the Normans, those in eastern Europe into the homologous Rus, and the Battle of Stamford Bridge, and the Battle of Hastings - which are generally accepted as the end of 'Vikings' as a raiding force of warriors.
My main issue with the book is that the first couple of chapters chronologically explore the Viking world as a whole, as do the last few chapters - in the middle, you have those 'deep-dives' that I mentioned above, which go into detail on the various colonies and settlements of the Norse, which follow the chronology of these settlements start-to-end. This makes everything a little bit messy and confusing, as you'll read about people during these deep dives who then die or accomplish something, etc., and then later in the book they'll be re-introduced as part of the larger narrative.
Not a huge complaint, and other than that I very much enjoyed Northmen's Fury - it can be a bit dry, but certainly the best and most extensive exploration of Viking history that I've read. Highly recommend to anybody with an interest in the subject.
danielgwood's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A fascinating delve into the history of the Viking world with great context throughout. Hard sometimes to keep track of all the names, but the author's habit of recapping events from other perspectives really helps. Really enjoyed it.
sharon_geitz's review
3.0
Really starting to struggle a bit with this, it takes what should be fascinating and turns it into dry, monotonous narrative, maybe it is just me.
speesh's review against another edition
4.0
Another history of the Vikings? Do we really need another one? Well, yes, if they’re as good as this one.
This is an easily digested, engrossing, reads like a novel, time-line history. No darting about, not too long on one area, no frills history. I thought it was pretty good. I thought it read like it had been written to try and bring the Vikings to a new, younger generation, though without dumbing down any. If you've read other Viking histories (as I have - and plenty), you’ll already know a lot of this. But there is a fair bit of new information. However - and maybe for the paperback - I would say that we now know that sunstones are a thing.
The real value of non-fiction books, I often feel, is found in the back. The appendix which lists all the references contained in the book proper. At least in general non-fiction books, like those on Vikings. Because you’re not really expected to plough through from start to finish. Well, maybe so, but they do seem written with the expectation that you’ll return to them time and time again, when something sparks your interest elsewhere and you think "I wonder if that book on the Vikings has anything on that…"
Unless, that is, you've found a book dealing with a specific part of the Viking story. Vikings in America, for instance.
Also it was strange, not to mention irritating, to see where I now live written as ‘Jutland.’ In case you were wondering, it's Jylland. Home of the Vikings.
More world-class reviews on Speesh Reads
This is an easily digested, engrossing, reads like a novel, time-line history. No darting about, not too long on one area, no frills history. I thought it was pretty good. I thought it read like it had been written to try and bring the Vikings to a new, younger generation, though without dumbing down any. If you've read other Viking histories (as I have - and plenty), you’ll already know a lot of this. But there is a fair bit of new information. However - and maybe for the paperback - I would say that we now know that sunstones are a thing.
The real value of non-fiction books, I often feel, is found in the back. The appendix which lists all the references contained in the book proper. At least in general non-fiction books, like those on Vikings. Because you’re not really expected to plough through from start to finish. Well, maybe so, but they do seem written with the expectation that you’ll return to them time and time again, when something sparks your interest elsewhere and you think "I wonder if that book on the Vikings has anything on that…"
Unless, that is, you've found a book dealing with a specific part of the Viking story. Vikings in America, for instance.
Also it was strange, not to mention irritating, to see where I now live written as ‘Jutland.’ In case you were wondering, it's Jylland. Home of the Vikings.
More world-class reviews on Speesh Reads
sharon4d046's review
3.0
Really starting to struggle a bit with this, it takes what should be fascinating and turns it into dry, monotonous narrative, maybe it is just me.