5.0
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.