The Vikings
"An utterly splendid book, quite the most brilliantly written, balanced, & 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 & Norway, their civilization & culture, & their manysided achievements at home & abroad. A readable narrative follows the development of these Northern peoples, the Nordmenn, from their origins & the legendary prehistory to the military triumphs of Canute & the defeat of Harald Hardradi at Stamford Bridge in 1066, which symbolically ended the Viking age. The book recounts the Vikings' exploits in war, trade & colonization--the assault on Western Christendom; the trading & military ventures to the Slav & Muslim worlds & to Byzantium; & the western voyages of discovery & settlement to Greenland, Iceland & America. Numerous photographs, maps & drawings contribute to Jones' rounded portrait of Viking civilization & evoke the importance in their culture of religion, art & seafaring. List of Illustrations Note Prefatory to the Revised Edition, 1984 Acknowledgements Introduction The northern peoples to AD 700 The viking kindoms to the close of the tenth century The viking movement overseas The viking age ends Appendices Supplementary Booklist, 1984 Select Bibliography Index