Books

Books : reviews

Julian D. Richards.
Viking Age England: 2nd edn.
Tempus. 2000

From shortly before AD 800 until the Norman Conquest, England was subject to raids from seafaring peoples from Scandinavia – the Vikings. However, they were not only raiders but also traders and settlers. During this period, the English state was unified under a single ruler for the first time and Anglo-Saxon society underwent great changes. Using the latest archaeological evidence from places such as London, Lincoln and York, the author reassesses the Viking contribution to Late Anglo-Saxon England and examines the creation of a new Anglo-Scandinavian identity.

Dawn M. Hadley, Julian D. Richards.
The Viking Great Army and the Making of England.
Thames and Hudson. 2021

The Viking Great Army that swept through England between AD 865 and 878 altered the course of British history. Instead of making quick smash-and-grab summer raids for silver and slaves, Vikings now remained in the country and became immersed in its communities. The Viking army was here to stay.

Tracing the movements of the Great Army across the country, this book pieces together a new picture of Viking Age England in unprecedented detail, from swords, coins, jewelry and the burials of great warriors to the everyday objects that ordinary farmers and craftsmen discarded. Drawing on the most up-to-date discoveries and the latest scientific techniques, this is the definitive account of a vital period in England’s history.