History truly has the ability to unify and bring together different people from different generations, cultures, and countries. This is no more evident than in The Viking World, edited by Stefan Brink and Neil Price.
Despite being almost a generation old (first published back in 2008), the book is still used widely with university audiences, and no doubt many an undergraduate has counted their lucky stars that Brink and Price could compile such an authority on all matters Viking.
Why? Weighing in at 744 pages, this book boasts a wealth of scholarly articles from world-leading scholars and rising ones, many of whom are now world-leading scholars themselves.
It is the definitive guide to Vikings and people in Viking societies – their history, culture, religion, art, travels, beliefs, and a multitude of other topics.
The authoritative work on the Viking Age
Given that the two editors are academics - Stefan Brink is a Professor of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Aberdeen, whilst Price is a Professor of Archaeology at Uppsala University – one might have feared the book would be inaccessible due to a plethora of highfalutin language.
Luckily, such fears were wrongly placed as The Viking World is thoroughly readable and accessible, regardless of how many PhDs in Scandinavian Studies you have.
The book itself is divided: Part 1 deals with the Viking Age (c. 750 - 1100 CE) in Scandinavia; Part 2 entails the Viking expansion (from modern-day Canada to the eastern shores of the Black Sea and everywhere in between) and the book closes out with the entry of Scandinavia onto the European stage.
Brink and Price have also compiled a list of topics divided into longer articles that provide thematic overviews supported by shorter papers on specific areas.
Close-up of a Viking sword pommel in Jelling style on display at the Viking Museum in Hedeby, Germany. Photo: Keeshu / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Diverse topics and broad appeal
It is both readable and learned, filling a gap in the market for an academically-focused reference work. It caters to scholars, would-be scholars, and anyone with a serious interest in diving deep into the world of the Vikings.
Whilst all the usual areas are covered – the Viking economy, warfare, and links with Christian Europe – niche topics finally get their place in the sun.
These include the influence of the Scandinavian languages on British place names, Viking voyages to Spain and Northern Africa, and the powerlessness of women in sexual politics.
Like the mix of old and young scholars, the topics offer insight into some age-old favorites (What exactly is the definition of a Viking?) and help to explain the impact of more recent scientific discoveries (What has DNA testing revealed about the bodies in the Oseberg ship?).
The book should be able to fulfill the needs of both the casual reader, with a general interest in the Viking world, and those reading it for scholarly purposes.
This book should be a must-buy for anyone who wants a detailed and wide-ranging knowledge of the Viking Age.
Having it under his belt early in his career, it is no wonder Neil Price has become one of the foremost experts on all things Viking.
The Viking World by Stefan Brink and Neil Price, published by Routledge in 2011, can be purchased on Amazon here.
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