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Vikings at War Paperback – August 29, 2019

by Kim Hjardar (Author), Vegard Vike (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 194 ratings
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“Well illustrated with excellent maps, drawings and photos, it deserves a place on the bookshelf of any Viking enthusiast.” – Current World Archaeology

Vikings at War presents a sumptuous depiction of how the Vikings waged war: their weapons technology, offensive and defensive warfare, military traditions and tactics, their fortifications, ships and command structure. It also portrays the Viking raids and conquest campaigns that brought the Vikings to virtually every corner of Europe and even to America. Viking ships landed on almost every shore in the Western world during the 350 years that followed the introduction of the sail into the region, from the 9th to the 11th century. Viking ravages united the Spanish kingdoms and stopped Charlemagne and the Franks' advance in Europe. Wherever Viking ships roamed, enormous suffering followed in their wake, but the encounter between cultures changed both European and Nordic societies.

Employing unorthodox and unpredictable strategies, which were hard for more organized forces to respond to, the most crucial element of the Vikings' success was their basic strategy of evading the enemy by arriving by sea, then attacking quickly and with great force before withdrawing quickly. The warrior class dominated in a militarized society. Honor was everything, and breaking promises and ruining one’s posthumous reputation was considered worse than death itself. If a man offended another man’s honor, the only way out was blood revenge.

Vikings at War provides a vivid account of one of Europe’s most exciting epochs.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Beaduheard Meets His Fate

1. THE VIKINGS
Who were the Vikings?
Viking society
The Viking warriors’ religion

2. THE ART OF WAR
Viking troops
Viking military techniques

3. VIKING FORTIFICATIONS
Viking fortifications

4. VIKING SHIPS
The Viking ship

5. VIKING WEAPONS
The Vikings and their weapons

6. VIKING INVASIONS
The world of the Vikings
The Islands in the West
Ireland
England
The Frankish Empire and France
The Iberian peninsula
The lands in the East
Byzantium
Greenland and America

notes
bibliography
indices
list of maps
image credits
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Casemate
  4. Publication date
    August 29, 2019
  5. Dimensions
    8.5 x 1 x 10 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1612007996
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1612007991
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“It's a magnificent piece of work…Although this is pitched as a book about the ‘Vikings at War’ it's much more than that and provides a very excellent introduction to the Viking age as a whole…In short it’s a book I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in the Viking period and I’m sure I shall be using it on set for Vikings.”
Justin Pollard, Historical Consultant for the Amazon television series Vikings

"Superb account of a race we're all familiar with...This is comprehensive, beautiful and readable, and brings to life the people we know as the Vikings."
Books Monthly

“Well illustrated with excellent maps, drawings and photos, it deserves a place on the bookshelf of any Viking enthusiast.”
Current World Archaeology

"This book is easily the best book on Viking history I have ever read... It purports to be a book about Viking at war, but it is really so much more than that... It is a history of not only the Vikings in northern Europe, but of everywhere the Vikings went, and it also goes deeply into the actual facts of Viking warfare."
A Wargamers Needful Things

“In Vikings at War, the Viking age in all its gory glory is brought to life in a beautifully illustrated 400 page book.”
Medieval Warfare Magazine

"The two authors demonstrate extensive knowledge of their subject matter and introduce it to their audience in a fashion which makes it readable and digestible particularly for the non-experts."
Mediaevistik

“This book is special because it's comprehensive and reconstructs Viking routes, invasions and campaigns across Europe and beyond, a thoroughly informative and enjoyable book for anyone who wishes to learn more about this era. Warfare Magazine highly recommend it!”
Warfare Magazine

“This volume would be a worthwhile addition to a Viking-themed library for the illustrations alone; archaeologists will additionally benefit from the syntheses of historical sources and sagas this text provides.”
Medieval Archaeology

5 stars “Hjardar and Vike present this comprehensive examination in six chapters, each focusing on a particular aspect of a warrior’s life… A host of color photographs, diagrams, maps and battle movements, and artwork beautifully illustrate this 400-page coffee-table-sized book… nuanced insights and delightful historical tidbits make this volume not only a worthy addition to any collection specializing in Scandinavian history, but also a stellar resource for history buffs and authors seeking background for their novels.”
Cindy Vallar, Pirates and Privateers

“The best synthesis of Viking warfare ever produced: clear, “The best synthesis of Viking warfare ever produced: clear, authoritative, occasionally controversial and superbly illustrated.”
Neil price, professor of archaeology, university of uppsala

“Vikinger i Krig throws a critical light on all the stories we have been told about the Vikings and the Viking Age. Solid references and research give the reader a much more balanced picture of this violent period of Norwegian history … The book is a well of enlightening and entertaining information.”
tommy leonhardsen,TRØNDERAVISA

About the Author

Kim Hjardar holds a MPhil in Nordic Viking and Medieval Culture from the University of Oslo and works as a lecturer in history at St Hallvard College. He has been involved in Viking and Medieval studies for more than fifteen years, both as a professional and through living history re-enactment. He is head of Norway’s biggest and oldest Viking re-enactment association.

Vegard Vike is archaeological conservator at the Museum of Cultural History, Oslo. He has researched Viking handicraft technologies extensively. He works on a daily basis with X-rays and microscopes and the meticulous surface-cleaning of weapons from exhumed graves, something that has given him a deep and thorough knowledge of the subject. He has also trained in martial arts using the different weapons of the era, as well as carrying out actual weapons production based on historical weaponsmith techniques.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Casemate; Reprint edition (August 29, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1612007996
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1612007991
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.78 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 1 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 194 ratings

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Kim Hjardar

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
194 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Arnbjörn Rodt
5.0 out of 5 stars An important modern update
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2020
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A very useful read that sheds light on the life of the Vikings. All the major routes of their far reaching routes of exploration, are described in detail. No doubt a major contribution to our knowledge of our forefathers who did not fear death but spread fear and death wherever they went.
4 people found this helpful
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mahdi1ray
5.0 out of 5 stars Vikings at War
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2018
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Excellent history book. Many illustrations. Easy to read.
5 people found this helpful
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Julia Mira
5.0 out of 5 stars A well researched interesting book
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2018
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I loved the background information Hjardar gives. I'm not that interested in the fighting aspect, but hey, I bought a book called "Vikings at War." It is only to be expected that it would be about Vikings at war. I use it a lot as a reference book, as I am teaching an extended unit on Vikings. It's my favorite of the references.
9 people found this helpful
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Robert Mike
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent study of Viking Warfare
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
I have studied Viking history for years. This is a very detailed study of Viking warfare. The author follows virtually all of the major (and many not major) Vikings from early in Scandinavian history in great detail delving into life histories and some side notes on legends. Maps and illustrations are very good, including some I have not run across before. The Kindle edition allows you to expand the illustrations and more importantly the maps for studying. I read this on an 8 inch screen tablet using the Kindle app. My rating is four stars as the book lacks an index which is necessary in a book of this size and complexity.
10 people found this helpful
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Kyle Easton
5.0 out of 5 stars Book in FANTASTIC condition - better than expected.
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
Haven’t started reading it yet, but the book is even better shape than described. Thank you!
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Linda A. D-R
5.0 out of 5 stars Vikings were Tough Guys
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2018
Verified Purchase
An inside look at how the Vikings terrorized Europe in their day and ,boy, did they get around. Did not like the maps and charts as they were too small and faint to decipher. Makes clear the old poem "and from the fury of the Northmen, Oh Lord, deliver us".
7 people found this helpful
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Mr. Seribachi
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2017
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Great read and beautiful photos and diagrams. A must have for the Nordic collection.
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Terry L. Olsen
3.0 out of 5 stars Great photographs, well made book
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
Great photographs, well made book. Unfortunately, all that we’d like to know, we can’t. The Vikings were too busy doing and did little recording. Most of what we know came from the recordings of other countries.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Leith Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars History
Reviewed in Canada on November 15, 2022
Verified Purchase
Outstanding historical account of the period, best I have read.
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Jorge Arturo Valles Teruel
1.0 out of 5 stars Malo
Reviewed in Mexico on December 30, 2020
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No muy bueno
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LES DEUX HIBOUX
5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2021
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This book is a translation of ‘Vikinger i krig’, written in Norwegian by by Kim Hjardar and Vegard Vike. (Actually, most of the book was written by Kim Hjardar. Vegard Vike wrote the chapter about ‘Viking Weapons’.) It does not set out to be a history of the Vikings. It sets out to describe Viking military history between 750 and 1100 AD – the Viking Age. What does the term ‘Viking’ mean for the purposes of this book? Kim Hjardar answers that question in the opening chapter, when he writes that: “It refers to both a period of time – the Viking Age – and a group of people – the Vikings. Today the term is used to describe all Nordic residents, traders, settlers or warriors. That is how the term is used in this book.”

After the opening chapter which puts the Viking Age in context, the book sets out to describe the warfare of Scandinavians during the Viking Age – the style of warfare (strategy, tactics and techniques), the weapons (sword, spear, axe, bow, knife) and protective gear (shield, helmet, armour), the fortifications and, of course, the ships! The last chapter, Chapter 6 (which accounts for just over 180 pages in this 400-page book) gives an account of the Scandinavians’ exploits outside Scandinavia – in the Orkneys and Shetlands, the Isle of Man, Iceland, Ireland, England, the Frankish empire and France, the Iberian peninsula, Russia and the Ukraine, Byzantium and, finally, Greenland and America – during the Viking Age.

The book is consistently well-researched and contains a very substantial amount of solid, sound information. It has a decent number of references, backed up by a good bibliography which includes a substantial proportion of books and articles in English. ‘Vikings at War’ is lavishly illustrated – mostly in colour, although there are black-and-white illustrations as well. In particular, I was impressed by the full-page colour plates showing a Scandinavian warrior (or, in one case, two warriors) of the Viking Age with the armour and weapons of a particular place and time. The Viking Age covers a lengthy period and a wide geographic span, and ‘Vikings’ did not look the same at all times and in all places.

So much for the good qualities of the book. But is there a down side?

Actually, there is very little about this book that I can find fault with. To my mind, there is just one significant omission. Chapter 6 recounts the exploits of Viking Age Scandinavians overseas, but what is missing is a chapter about the wars which took place in Scandinavia during the Viking Age. I suppose this did not seem necessary in a book intended for a Norwegian audience. But for those of us who were not brought up knowing Danish, Norwegian and Swedish history, it would have been helpful to see the same treatment given to those countries as is given to the lands covered in Chapter 6. In the text we do see references to battles such as Hafrsfjord, Nesjar, Stiklestad and Svolder, and that is all well and good, but I would certainly have liked to seen these placed fully in the context of the military campaigns of Harald Fairhair, Olaf Haraldsson, Olaf Tryggvason and others.

Then there is the question of the translation. As I do not have a copy of the original book (and I cannot read Norwegian anyway), there is a limit to how far I can judge whether the translation is accurate. It is certainly a very readable translation, and for the most part it seems fine. However, there are two instances which cause me a little concern.

First, on page 166 there is a block of text concerning “Saxon knives”, a term which it uses alongside explicit references to the word ‘sax’ (and its Old English equivalent – ‘seax’). Now, as I have not seen the Norwegian original, I cannot be sure that ‘Saxon knife’ is not a literal translation of the term Vegard Vike actually used in referring to the sax. But it seems odd.

Second, on page 101 the book refers to “Torbjørg the shield-maiden”, a character in ‘Rolf Gautreksons Saga’, and the paragraph ends with the sentence: “In oral tradition she was known as ‘King Torberg’.” Unfortunately, “In oral tradition” is a mistranslation. Anyone who has read the translation of ‘Hrolf Gautreksson’ by the experienced and reliable Hermann Pálsson and his colleague Paul Edwards knows that Thornbjorg’s defining feature is that she dresses as, behaves as and insists on being treated as a man. The saga tells how she “had herself elected as king over one third of Sweden” and “she changed her name to ‘Thorberg’, and anyone so bold as to call her a maiden or woman was in serious trouble”. The reference to ‘oral tradition’ is just wrong. Presumably the translator was not familiar with the saga, and did not look at the English version by Pálsson and Edwards for help in translating Kim Hjardar’s text.

These are minor issues, though. Overall, this is an admirable book. In my opinion, ‘Vikings at War’ successfully walks the tightrope and manages to be detailed and technical enough for the serious student of Viking Age warfare and also accessible and readable enough for the average reader. Will it please absolutely everybody? Maybe not. But my guess is that the vast majority of people who have an interest in the military aspects of the Viking Age will be impressed with this book.
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Landmensch
5.0 out of 5 stars Schön aufgemachter und umfassender Überblick
Reviewed in Germany on October 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
Mir ist das Buch in einem Museum in Ribe, Dänemark, im norwegischen Original aufgefallen und ich habe mir die neue Auflage in Englisch zugelegt. Es ist sehr schön geschrieben, lässt sich sehr gut lesen und "erschlägt" einen geradezu mit Information zum Thema. Ich kann das Buch absolut weiterempfehlen. Nicht nur die Aufmachung ist gelungen, auch der Inhalt passt. Lediglich auf S. 270 der zweiten Ausgabe 2019 hat sich ein Druckfehler eingeschlichen, denn Sven Gabelbart, der Sohn Harald Blauzahns und Enkel von Gorm dem Alten, wurde nicht um das Jahr 860, sondern um das Jahr 960 geboren. Verlag weiß schon Bescheid.
2 people found this helpful
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Gabriela
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative
Reviewed in Canada on July 18, 2018
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Beautiful book
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