Uncovering the Fascinating History of the Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chessmen and the Woman Who Crafted Them

James MJames M: As I was making lewis men for my grandkids , it was a good read but still no conclusions as to their origins.

United Kingdom on May 09, 2023

mcpickettmcpickett: Fascinating story about chess pieces found in beach sands on the Isle of Lewis (Scotland), with a long historical trail of discovery leading to Iceland. Some parts of the book seem quite technical if you're not a professional historian, (I'm not a pro and found some parts difficult). We'll need to see what the historians come up with next...

Australia on Oct 01, 2022

Ferran: I don't want to misrepresent things. The book is full of good information, it's easy to read (no weird academese constructions, and such), but it's a book on Viking Chess, it's a pretty specific field, by and large, one does not stumble on by chance. Maybe one who reaches it has already read some basics on the history of Vikings.
That's a bit jarring, if your quality time is short, because you don't dare skip sections in case there's a nugget of gold (or ivory, here)... and there are. The book's good, though, no question about it.

Spain on Jan 20, 2022

mr roger rowden: Very well written covers in depth the viking age ,as for the Lewis chess sets, it asks more questions than answers, will we ever know the truth of where they were made ,brings into focus the power of the church over the Kings and its wealth .

United Kingdom on Dec 30, 2021

Kindle Customer: I learned more about Iceland, sagas, walruses and Viking history than I ever thought possible.
Always interesting if a little repetitive. A great discovery of a book!

Canada on Mar 10, 2021

Percy Dovetonsils: I used to play chess a lot, I was a 1400 level (average) woodpusher in a chess club. Always interested in the Lewis chessmen, I decided to buy this book before I buy a replica set. The originals are worth something like $1 million each, so $32 million for the set if a museum would sell them. Not bad for an $80 pound investment by the British Museum in London.
I gave this book 4 stars. It is the only one I have on the Lewis chessmen although I have had a ton of chess books. I selected it because it was recently published compared to many others.
The author makes a very compelling case for the creation of the set. Although most scholars agree they were made in the late 1100's due to their unique style, the ongoing question is where. The author make a very clear argument that they were carved in Iceland by a particular artist under a particular Bishop. However, older arguments have been made that they were carved in Trondheim, Norway.
The reason I gave the book 4 not 5 stars is that it really gets involved in the Viking Age and the various Kings and Bishops of the North Sea area of the time. As Norway had conquered most of it, there is debate if certain areas ought be called...

United States on Dec 08, 2020

John D. Cofield: Back in 1831 a collection of 92 chessmen was discovered on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides. Carved from ivory taken from walrus tusks, each piece was individual and idiosyncratic, with differing faces, expressions, clothing, and weaponry. Debate over the Lewis chessmen's creator(s) and place(s) of origin began shortly after their discovery and has carried on without end. In this well written and fascinating volume Nancy Marie Brown tells us what is known or surmised about the chessmen, and in so doing she has revealed the complex civilization centered around the North Atlantic Ocean from which they came.

In the 10th and 11th centuries the North Atlantic bustled with an active sea-going society. The Northmen or Vikings carried on trade between Scandinavia, Russia, Ireland, Britain, Iceland, and Greenland. Gifted craftsmen created beautiful art work out of stone, wood, and ivory, which was obtained from the large walrus herds to be found in Iceland and Greenland. Kings jostled for power while missionaries carried Christianity throughout the region, leading to the erection of beautifully constructed and decorated churches and cathedrals. It was in this setting that the Lewis...

United States on Sep 25, 2015