Book cover for Children of Ash and Elm

Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings

Author:

Translated by:

Rating: ★★★★★


Language: en-US

Genre: History

Themes: Scandinavia, Migration Period

Format: eBook

Finished: February 7, 2024

ISBN: 9780465096992

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2020

Edition: First English

Pages: 624

About The Book

The Viking Age between 750 and 1050 saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they reshaped the world between eastern North America and the Asian steppe. Based on the latest archaeological and textual evidence, Children of Ash and Elm tells the story of the Vikings on their own terms: their politics, their cosmology, their art and culture.

My Thoughts

The Vikings are a phenomenon in pop culture at the moment. From blockbuster Tv series to a renewed (and somewhat worrying) manosphere ahistorical lifestyle obsession with them, they are seemingly ever-present. Knowing that the lifestylists are using them as a stand-in for white-supremacy motifs, I am often hesitant to share my interest in the historical vikings, but I am happy to say that this is exactly the sort of comprehensive history I enjoy.

Of particular note is the archeological emphasis of the book, supported by textual analysis. Well-documented and even-handed.

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