A review by tahlia__nerds_out
The Last Viking: The True Story of King Harald Hardrada by Don Hollway

adventurous informative medium-paced

4.0

When I started this book, it felt a little too much like fiction for my taste, with dialogue and a story-telling style. It grew on me as the book progressed, especially as the author became more clear about the sources he used for each story (Snori, etc). I also really appreciate the follow-up on the life of Snori himself, of whom I’ve never heard much about, in spite of hearing him cited so often as a source. In the beginning, I might have rated this book a 3, but with the enjoyable narration and the follow-up on Snori, it is more like a 3.75 stars for me. I also think that, with all the different names, some of which are shared by multiple people, I might have gotten more out of the book by reading it instead of listening to it. I do feel like I come away from this book feeling like I will remember what I learned. Because I can see myself revisiting this book in the future to experience it by reading it vs listening to it, this book has managed to get a 4 stars rating from me… something I would not have expected when I had started it. If you want to learn about a man who lived an interesting, wild life and interacted with memorable people from many kingdoms, this could well be a book you enjoy.