Viking The Norse warrior's (unofficial) manual

John Haywood, 1956-

Book - 2013

Vikings were the lords of the northern seas. Fame, glory and wealth awaited those who braved storms and enemy spears to plunder far and wide in foreign lands. Combining the latest archaeological discoveries with modern-day reconstructions and tales from the Norse sagas, this book paints a vivid picture of what it was like to be a Viking warrior.

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Subjects
Published
London : Thames & Hudson 2013.
Language
English
Main Author
John Haywood, 1956- (-)
Physical Description
208 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. (some col.), maps ; 21 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780500251942
  • 1. Why Become a Viking?
  • 2. Joining Up
  • 3. The Novice Viking's Guide to the Great War Leaders
  • 4. Weapons and Tactics
  • 5. Going to Sea
  • 6. Have Longs hip, Will Travel
  • 7. Life on Campaign
  • 8. Battle
  • 9. The Spoils of War
  • 10. The Sword's Sleep
  • Map of the Viking World
  • Glossary
  • Acknowledgments
  • Further Reading
  • Sources of Quotations
  • Sources of Illustrations
  • Index
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Haywood's newest (after Chronicles of the Ancient World) is a whimsical and informative how-to guide to becoming and living the life of a fearsome Scandinavian raider. The year is 991 C.E., and the glory of Olaf Tryggvason's victory at the battle of Maldon in England this past summer has you, the reader, interested in becoming a Viking. If you are healthy and can handle a weapon, regardless of your class (save slaves), there is some chance that you'll be chosen to join a ship captain on his raids; women need not apply. Haywood offers latent marauders advice on everything from weapons to life onboard a longship and on campaign. Battle tips are to be expected, but surveys of countries just itching to be raided, types of treasure, and historical asides on cultures contemporaneous with the Vikings are added bonuses. The author describes potential battle wounds and field treatment options (or the lack of same) in graphic detail, but for the most part he avoids rape and torture. Text and captions can be repetitious, and although there is a glossary, there's no pronunciation guide-good luck with "hird." Nevertheless, anyone hoping to go a-Viking will find this manual to be fun and revealing. 135 illus., 29 in color. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved