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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I thought I knew a lot about Viking history, but this thorough book set me straight. I listened to a Libro.fm audiobook, which is a real treat, particularly since the author narrates it beautifully. She clearly cares a great deal about her subject matter and as the book moved along so do I. I love books of social history and this is one of the very best.
As someone who works in the city of York, Viking history is kind of hard to ignore! Long before I moved here though, if I was asked which age in history I would like to visit, The Viking Age would have been my answer, the genteel ballroom dances of the Georgian period and the oh-so-proper cover every inch of your body Victorian times just do not excite me. Give me seafaring raiders and Norse mythology any day. Obviously NOW I know I would have been a terrible Viking, I bloody hate being cold and, (if you've visited the Jorvik centre in my home city, then you know what I mean when I say) I really could not have coped with the smells!
In this book we learn of what it really meant to be a 'Viking', or more accurately, a Norse person. Not the names we know from the blood-soaked stories of invaders looting monasteries off the North coast of England or landing on American soil hundreds of years before Columbus, not even of a certain King Harald Bluetooth whose name we use probably every day albeit in a very different context, but of the everyday guys and gals of the medieval Nordic world.
It is written in a super accessible way, each chapter focussing on a certain element of daily life, from love and play, to travel and belief. The author explains through archaeological discoveries, what we can learn from the game pieces, combs and even love notes and drawings found at various sites, putting them into context and bringing these people back to life many centuries later. I know I'm a drama queen but I actually got emotional at times, if you saw me on my lunch break welling up at a stick figure drawing made by a Viking child then no, you didn't.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one (always more pictures though please!), and for anyone who has an interest in the real lives of communities from history this is a must read.
In this book we learn of what it really meant to be a 'Viking', or more accurately, a Norse person. Not the names we know from the blood-soaked stories of invaders looting monasteries off the North coast of England or landing on American soil hundreds of years before Columbus, not even of a certain King Harald Bluetooth whose name we use probably every day albeit in a very different context, but of the everyday guys and gals of the medieval Nordic world.
It is written in a super accessible way, each chapter focussing on a certain element of daily life, from love and play, to travel and belief. The author explains through archaeological discoveries, what we can learn from the game pieces, combs and even love notes and drawings found at various sites, putting them into context and bringing these people back to life many centuries later. I know I'm a drama queen but I actually got emotional at times, if you saw me on my lunch break welling up at a stick figure drawing made by a Viking child then no, you didn't.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one (always more pictures though please!), and for anyone who has an interest in the real lives of communities from history this is a must read.
informative
medium-paced
medium-paced
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Travel the world with the Vikings! No, you won't be riding along with Eric the Red and other heroes of Viking epics. Instead, Barraclough meticulously examines the ephemera to paint a picture of life for the average people who lived during the Viking era. Barraclough's book considers women, enslaved people, children, and disabled people rather than focusing on the heroes we have come to know from cursory familiarity with the concept of Vikings.
The book is beautifully written, with prose that is engaging and enjoyable. The structure of the book is easy to follow. Highly recommend!!
I'm not necessarily a Viking enthusiast, but this is one of the best examples of thoughtful, nuanced interpretation of history I've read.
The book is beautifully written, with prose that is engaging and enjoyable. The structure of the book is easy to follow. Highly recommend!!
I'm not necessarily a Viking enthusiast, but this is one of the best examples of thoughtful, nuanced interpretation of history I've read.
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Longlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize, Nonfiction: 8/16
“The Viking Age is a glittering thing.”
enjoyed this well-written & pretty engaging book, but the subject matter is something I’m honestly not that interested in nor familiar with, so glad it was nominated for the longlist, but relatively low on my personal rankings of the longlist so far…
“The Viking Age is a glittering thing.”
enjoyed this well-written & pretty engaging book, but the subject matter is something I’m honestly not that interested in nor familiar with, so glad it was nominated for the longlist, but relatively low on my personal rankings of the longlist so far…
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Not your average Viking age non-fiction text in all the good ways. I really enjoyed how diverse the subjects of this book were. Covering a wide range of people of different social standings and some that are usually not mentioned much or at all. The author/narrator had really solid pronunciation (as far as I know) and you could really tell she is very passionate about this book and her energy really adds that extra layer of enjoyment to this audiobook.
As someone who has enjoyed reading many different points of views on Viking age history, I still felt like I came away learning some new things and never found myself bored listening to this book. I really enjoyed how many chapters tied back to others and wove this great tapestry across the book while covering many different subjects and times of the Viking age. I recommend this to anyone with any level of interest in the Viking age.
Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia and Eleanor Barraclough for an ALC in exchange for this honest review.
As someone who has enjoyed reading many different points of views on Viking age history, I still felt like I came away learning some new things and never found myself bored listening to this book. I really enjoyed how many chapters tied back to others and wove this great tapestry across the book while covering many different subjects and times of the Viking age. I recommend this to anyone with any level of interest in the Viking age.
Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia and Eleanor Barraclough for an ALC in exchange for this honest review.