The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings by Peter Sawyer

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings by Peter Sawyer

Were the Vikings, as contemporary description had it, a 'valiant, wrathful, foreign, purely pagan people' who swept in from the sea to plunder and slaughter? 'War-wolves keen in hungry quest', according to later tradition, who lived and died by the sea and the sword? Or were they unusually successful merchants, extortionists, and pioneer explorers? This book, by leading international scholars, considers the latest research and presents a compelling picture of the Vikings and their age. Excavations as far apart as Dublin and Newfoundland, York and Kiev, provide fascinating archaeological evidence, expertly interpreted in this extensively illustrated book. Its chapters cover the different geographical areas of the Viking world, and trace the Viking story from the first 'hit-and-run' raids on isolated coastal communities towards the end of the eighth century to the establishment of permanent settlements and their interaction with local culture. The Viking heritage and the different uses it was put to in subsequent centuries by, amongst others, the Romantic movement in literature, Scandinavian immigrants to the American Mid-west, and the Nazis is further explored in a fascinating chapter. From sagas to shipbuilding technology, from funeral rituals to fur-trading, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings offers a comprehensive and absorbing overview of Viking activity and the Viking legacy.

Peter Sawyer has taught at institutions in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds, Gothenburg, Minnesota, and Berkeley, California. From 1970 until 1982, he was Professor of Medieval History at Leeds University, before retiring early to live in Sweden and devote more time to early Scandinavian history. An Honorary DPhil was bestowed to him. In 2005, he graduated from the University of Copenhagen.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780198205265
ISBN 10	0198205260
Title	The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings
Author	Peter Sawyer
Series	Oxford Illustrated Histories Ser
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Year published	1997-12-01
Number of pages	316
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.