This background material is used to give more context to Viking warfare than would be available just from a study of the sources directly relating to the Vikings, but the focus always returns to the Vikings and their immediate enemies. A wide range of topics are covered, from the equipment and training of the individual warriors to the overall structure of their campaigns. There is also an interesting section on the world view of the Viking warriors and their contemporaries – an attempt to understand how they saw themselves and their actions.

Read the complete review here.

History of War, John Rickard

[The scope of this book is] very ambitious, and this volume is thankfully well researched - presenting a great deal of useful information to the interested reader. Where this work is particularly strong is in painting a detailed picture of the structure, economics and culture of Christianised Western Europe and the extent to which it was influenced by the powerhouse of Charlemagne’s Frankish Empire.

Tom Davis & Dr Stephen Harrison

The research and references are very well done, for anyone interested in Vikings, this is a decent read.

Destructive Music

The author has specialised in Scandinavian history during the period when the Vikings burst out onto Europe and beyond. His knowledge of warfare and tactics of the time is impressive and the book takes a fresh approach to the period, considering both the Vikings and their enemies. This is probably the finest account of warfare during the period and is essential reading for anyone who wishes toto understand this extraordinary period.

Firetrench