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books17's review against another edition
2.0
Fairly disappointing. Reads very dryly, like a sequence of Year 12 students' essays back to back. Each chapter has a subject, begins with a vaguely interesting introductory paragraph, then many random pieces of information from various different sources slapped together, and the chapter finishes with a conclusion which goes over what we've learned. And then it begins again.
Wouldn't recommend - that coverart is nice though.
Wouldn't recommend - that coverart is nice though.
shannasbooksnhooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very quick read for me.
I loved reading this book and learning more about the Vikings other than just the details that they were raiders and plunderers.
Winroth does a fantastic job in painting a more complete picture of the Vikings for the reader; he includes their raids and plunders, but he also shows a few other things about the Vikings: (1) how the Vikings would settle in places they raided, (2) how the Vikings in their original homes were, and (3) how much the Vikings actually traveled to gain knowledge.
I personally had always avoided Viking history because the main - and pretty basic - picture we get of them is wild, barbaric warriors who only raided, pillaged, raped and burned.
However, after reading this book, I am willing to read more Viking related history books!
I loved reading this book and learning more about the Vikings other than just the details that they were raiders and plunderers.
Winroth does a fantastic job in painting a more complete picture of the Vikings for the reader; he includes their raids and plunders, but he also shows a few other things about the Vikings: (1) how the Vikings would settle in places they raided, (2) how the Vikings in their original homes were, and (3) how much the Vikings actually traveled to gain knowledge.
I personally had always avoided Viking history because the main - and pretty basic - picture we get of them is wild, barbaric warriors who only raided, pillaged, raped and burned.
However, after reading this book, I am willing to read more Viking related history books!
kiwi_fruit's review against another edition
3.0
This book a nice serious scholarly work, with great attention to the sources but not great as an introduction. The content is not organised chronologically, but by theme. The information is presented as discursive essays, with each chapter spanning decades or even centuries, sometimes covering more than one topic. Some chapters are better than others.
Winroth often challenges the veracity of long-held views of the Vikings and their practices putting them down as “creations of a vivid imagination of the high medieval writers”.
He presents interesting theories based on the latest archaeological evidence; the sections on the “Farm beneath the sand” and Osberg burial site were fascinating. I also found the chapter on economy and commerce well explained with the parallels between East and West carefully analysed.
Though the content is extremely interesting and well researched, the author’s style is somewhat dry. I overall enjoyed reading this book but I would not recommend it on its own to someone who is not already familiar with the subject. 3.5 stars.
Favourite quotes:
Viking Age emigration from Scandinavia was not driven primarily by population pressures at home, as is often imagined. Populations always tend to grow, but such growth is typically balanced by famine, war, and disease, as Thomas Malthus (1766–1834) postulated. People may always feel pressured by the lack of opportunity at home; what made the Viking Age different was not exceptionally great pressures at home but the appearance of real opportunities elsewhere.
It mattered that the Vikings brought into circulation silver and gold that had been hidden away in ecclesiastical treasure-houses, but we must not exaggerate the impact. Church plate had always been taken to mints and melted down when a bishop, an abbot, or a king needed cash, so it was never permanently withdrawn from the economy when placed in a treasury. More important for the early medieval resurgence of commerce in western Europe was the central Asian silver that Scandinavian merchants brought to Europe.
Although no exact statistics are available, it seems that Scandinavians and others who exported slaves, fur, and other articles to the Arab Caliphate and Byzantium rectified for some time the lopsided trade balance between western Europe and the East, stopping or perhaps even reversing the flow of silver and gold that had been leaving the western economy. The influx strengthened the European stock of silver, the coinage, and thus commerce. It was during the Viking Age that the European economy slowly began to grow again, eventually, in the modern era, leading to Europe’s economic, political, and cultural hegemony.
Their power over people extended so far that they could no longer maintain the kind of personal friendships that the gift economy of previous centuries promoted. Instead, they needed military and administrative structures to run what increasingly looked like older European kingdoms. The Church was the best organized institution in Europe at the time, and kings received help from clerics to build up their royal administration. Chieftaincy based on charisma and friendships yielded to organized and administrative kingship, although for a long time both “systems” existed in parallel.
Winroth often challenges the veracity of long-held views of the Vikings and their practices putting them down as “creations of a vivid imagination of the high medieval writers”.
He presents interesting theories based on the latest archaeological evidence; the sections on the “Farm beneath the sand” and Osberg burial site were fascinating. I also found the chapter on economy and commerce well explained with the parallels between East and West carefully analysed.
Though the content is extremely interesting and well researched, the author’s style is somewhat dry. I overall enjoyed reading this book but I would not recommend it on its own to someone who is not already familiar with the subject. 3.5 stars.
Favourite quotes:
Viking Age emigration from Scandinavia was not driven primarily by population pressures at home, as is often imagined. Populations always tend to grow, but such growth is typically balanced by famine, war, and disease, as Thomas Malthus (1766–1834) postulated. People may always feel pressured by the lack of opportunity at home; what made the Viking Age different was not exceptionally great pressures at home but the appearance of real opportunities elsewhere.
It mattered that the Vikings brought into circulation silver and gold that had been hidden away in ecclesiastical treasure-houses, but we must not exaggerate the impact. Church plate had always been taken to mints and melted down when a bishop, an abbot, or a king needed cash, so it was never permanently withdrawn from the economy when placed in a treasury. More important for the early medieval resurgence of commerce in western Europe was the central Asian silver that Scandinavian merchants brought to Europe.
Although no exact statistics are available, it seems that Scandinavians and others who exported slaves, fur, and other articles to the Arab Caliphate and Byzantium rectified for some time the lopsided trade balance between western Europe and the East, stopping or perhaps even reversing the flow of silver and gold that had been leaving the western economy. The influx strengthened the European stock of silver, the coinage, and thus commerce. It was during the Viking Age that the European economy slowly began to grow again, eventually, in the modern era, leading to Europe’s economic, political, and cultural hegemony.
Their power over people extended so far that they could no longer maintain the kind of personal friendships that the gift economy of previous centuries promoted. Instead, they needed military and administrative structures to run what increasingly looked like older European kingdoms. The Church was the best organized institution in Europe at the time, and kings received help from clerics to build up their royal administration. Chieftaincy based on charisma and friendships yielded to organized and administrative kingship, although for a long time both “systems” existed in parallel.
not_irish_patrick's review against another edition
3.0
This book has a lot of information about the Viking Age, but I found it to be a boring read. To me, it's better used as a reference book, than something to read cover to cover. I also didn't like how it wasn't organized chronologically. I did learn some stuff.
qaphsiel's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very academic text, and I think that's the explanation for the mediocre ratings. Ironically, the popular misconceptions that Winroth seeks to dispel with his book are likely what makes this book disappointing to some.
I welcomed the academic treatment of the subject, though I admit it was a bit dry at times.
He covers the culture and economy as well as the military/political history of this fascinating people and the period of time. They were a fearsome and complicated people, worthy of the respect and fear they inspired. On the other hand, they were not exceptional in their ferocity - they were a violent people in a violent time. They are cast as the "bad guys" because most of the written source material was written by the people they raided and not the Norsemen themselves.
What else is good? His explanations of the various sources and their limitations; the discussion of their poetry and art; and his coverage of religion. The last is particularly difficult given that almost all the material we have on it was recorded by Christians a century and more after nearly all Scandinavia had converted to Christianity. The Christians were more interested in consolidating variations instead of preserving them separately, and, once consolidated, harmonizing them with Christian material.
Overall, a 3.5/5. I'd go with 4 if it was a bit more engaging. Other than that, the factual material is great and it's presented well enough.
I welcomed the academic treatment of the subject, though I admit it was a bit dry at times.
He covers the culture and economy as well as the military/political history of this fascinating people and the period of time. They were a fearsome and complicated people, worthy of the respect and fear they inspired. On the other hand, they were not exceptional in their ferocity - they were a violent people in a violent time. They are cast as the "bad guys" because most of the written source material was written by the people they raided and not the Norsemen themselves.
What else is good? His explanations of the various sources and their limitations; the discussion of their poetry and art; and his coverage of religion. The last is particularly difficult given that almost all the material we have on it was recorded by Christians a century and more after nearly all Scandinavia had converted to Christianity. The Christians were more interested in consolidating variations instead of preserving them separately, and, once consolidated, harmonizing them with Christian material.
Overall, a 3.5/5. I'd go with 4 if it was a bit more engaging. Other than that, the factual material is great and it's presented well enough.
winnieaxworthy's review against another edition
5.0
A great overview of the Viking-Age. It covers all the main elements of what we know about the Viking-Age in a good amount of detail and gives a balanced view of the Vikings by taking all of the evidence into account. Interesting and very well written.
jsjammersmith's review
5.0
Before you ask, yes, I did listen to the Skyrim soundtrack every time I picked up this book.
Winroth gave me so much with this wonderful book because I honestly knew so little. Like many, I possessed a great understanding of the superficial aesthetic of the Viking race of people's, with only a slim acumen of real knowledge about these human beings that somehow managed to make a life out of arguably one of the most inhospitable realms on this planet earth. Winroth books give the reader passage after passage of readable, and enjoyable, prose that engages at the same time that it informs.
This is history done right, and Winroth reminds me why I love this subject so much. The Vikings become a real race of peoples with a politics, religion, economy, and literature rather than burly cartoon characters with horns on their helmets, which, p.s. they didn't actually have.
Winroth gave me so much with this wonderful book because I honestly knew so little. Like many, I possessed a great understanding of the superficial aesthetic of the Viking race of people's, with only a slim acumen of real knowledge about these human beings that somehow managed to make a life out of arguably one of the most inhospitable realms on this planet earth. Winroth books give the reader passage after passage of readable, and enjoyable, prose that engages at the same time that it informs.
This is history done right, and Winroth reminds me why I love this subject so much. The Vikings become a real race of peoples with a politics, religion, economy, and literature rather than burly cartoon characters with horns on their helmets, which, p.s. they didn't actually have.