It’s odd to have a history book begin with a quote from Blade Runner:

I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.

But that’s part of author Neil Oliver’s theme; the Vikings explored the world from Novgorod to Newfoundland, but left precious little writing about what they saw and experienced. Some Icelandic sagas, some accounts from their enemies, and now and then runic graffiti: “Thorni bedded Helga”, for example, much like what was scrawled on the walls of my high school boy’s room (except neither the Vikings or my high school contemporaries used the word “bedded”). Possibly that’s more meaningful than you might think; a lot of Viking history is better understood if you think of them as vulgar and violent gangs of teenage boys, rather than grizzled old berserks.

Oliver gives plenty of background, beginning his story all the way back in the Neolithic; we’re almost halfway through the book before getting to the sack of Lindisfarne. After that, it’s mostly Viking history as it affected the British Isles – the Great Heathen Army, Clontarf, etc.; fair enough, since that’s where a lot of the accounts are set. An easy read. See Viking Hersir and Vikings in Britain. ( )

I read this in preparation for a museum exhibit I may attend soon. I like to know something about the subject of an exhibit before I get there; I find it greatly increases my enjoyment of the experience. (Should I admit to studying for going to a museum? I feel like this activity clearly labels me as something, but I'm cool with that.)

What I enjoyed most in this book were the author's personal expressions of following in Viking footsteps. Whether it was sleeping in a reconstructed Bronze Age house by himself, watching the progress of a modern day Viking ship along a waterway, or standing meditatively before the remains of various Viking burials, the author was obviously touched with a sense of awe, which is compelling to read about.

However, much of the book feels like very vague history. I suppose this is only natural when much of the Viking era took place without contemporary recorders of the history. I think I wanted more names and hard fast facts, and there were SOME, but more towards the end of the book.

At least I know now how Bluetooth got its name.
And, it was pretty cool reading about the Viking settlements on Iceland, Greenland, and North America. ( )

This is an ideal overview of Viking history and their impact on European history. It begins with the prehistoric roots of the Vikings rather than starting with their raids on the rest of Europe. This promotes understanding of how they became what they were. The author also clearly separates the histories of the Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish Vikings explaining the differences in their influence on history.

The book is well written and entertaining but is more difficult to follow than other books from Neil Oliver. This is a result of the author's tendency to bounce around geographically as well as through the centuries. Another challenge is the broad cast of characters. The book includes some great illustrations which are, unfortunately, not very clear in the Kindle edition. ( )

Easily readable with good photographic visuals. I enjoyed it. ( )

A serviceable popular history of the Vikings in all their glory; Oliver provides good background on the range and scope of Viking exploration and a decent overview of their cultural practices. Oliver's enthusiasm for the topic is obvious and infectious, and he's able to weave in tales from his own travels and experiences in a way that works well with the narrative. It's made me want to go off and read some books from his bibliography, and that's always a good sign. ( )