Uncovering the Legacy of the Vikings: A Historical Exploration of the Children of Ash and Elm

Val O'Toole: Very keen on history and looking forward to reading this.

United Kingdom on Nov 23, 2023

amelianne: This isn't just a very informative book, it's also beautifully written. Writing about Vikings from a Viking perspective is a bold claim, but I think the author has succeeded in doing just that. I found it fascinating and interesting.

United Kingdom on Nov 21, 2023

Laurenz: A fantastic read, this book’s approach allows you to dive into how Vikings thought, and what their society looked like.
The author is one of the worlds foremost experts on the Vikings, and it shows in how willing he is to write about controversial topics in a very clear way; Viking slavery for example is discussed as the horror it was.

I would recommend this book to anyone fascinated by the Vikings, you are sure to learn something new.

Germany on Nov 15, 2023

Ryan Ahlgrim: It is hard to imagine that one person could know so much about the Vikings. This book is amazingly comprehensive, covering the culture and artifacts of the Vikings like no other book I've read. It deserves much of the praise being heaped upon it. But I found the book curiously deficient in two areas. The chapter covering Viking religion and mythology fails to explain (at least to my satisfaction) the meaning of core concepts such as Yggdrasil (the world tree) and Ragnarök (the final cataclysm and death of the gods). The author seems to assume we are already familiar with Norse mythology and so he doesn't need to explain and explore the meaning of some of its better-known components. (Or perhaps Norse mythology is so diverse and inconsistent, no summary of meaning is possible.) Also missing are narratives about key Viking leaders. This is not a history of the Vikings as seen through the exploits of individual leaders; it's a history of the Vikings as seen through artifacts. One final complaint: despite the author's very readable prose, the detail gets dull and repetitive. The Wall Street Journal review calls the book "a thrilling read." No, it's a slog.

United States on Nov 05, 2023

Cliente 1927: buona introduzione al periodo

Italy on Oct 13, 2023

eric linn: This book was a great read. Filled with loads of information that I had never heard before.

United States on Oct 09, 2023

timothy philip rogers: This wonderful book. What a superb literary piece. If you do not have this book as part of your Viking history book collection you are sadly lacking, I think.. In my opinion, 'TheChildren of Ash and Elm' is a masterpiece. I am delighted to write this review. 10 out of 10. Thank you for reading my review, I hope that you find it honest and helpful.

United Kingdom on Sep 21, 2023

Beguiled By Books: Synopsis: Neil Price takes the common stereotypes of Vikings and confirms or refutes everything we think we know about Vikings. He touches on nearly every facet of Viking life from gender roles (and gender fluidity), polygeny, raids and exploration, paganism and the onslaught of Christianity, and community and the spread of traditional Viking genetics. Children of Ash and Elm is deeply rooted in scientific discovery and Price does an excellent job of noting where the anthropological community has solid evidence or where there’s more speculation than fact.

Likes: I loved how Price made subtle references to pop culture throughout this book. He hinted at shows like Vikings and even Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings. Many stories have characters or worlds inspired by Scandinavia and Vikings, so those connections were helpful to read to connect dots - or separate fact from fiction.

Comments: The only comment I have on this book is how slow and dry it got in places. During some of the chapters on Viking movement throughout Eurasia, I lost concentration. I also felt there was more detail than I (personally) wanted around the genetic connections between Vikings and...

United States on Jul 21, 2023

Stephen Pollard: To precede this review, I would like to clarify my level of expertise. I am not a scholar, nor do I have any formal education in the studies of the Viking Age. I have studied the Viking Age and Norse mythology recreationally for over three-and-a-half years (though my casual interest dates back 17 years), and I have read English translations of both eddas, many sagas (definitely not all!), and several nonfiction books focusing on the Viking Age and Norse mythology. I do not speak or read Old Norse or any modern Scandinavian languages. All that said, any knowledge I possess is at the mercy of others scholars I have read and/or listened to, and their translations of the source material and sagas.

With that being said, I found a lot to enjoy in Neil Price's The Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings. Price delves into extraordinary detail about some of the minutiae of life for the Scandinavians during the Viking Age, so much so that many have decried this work as a glorified textbook and far too academic in nature. I myself applaud these choices by Price to discuss many of the aspects of Scandinavian life and culture that are not covered in more mainstream works...

United States on Nov 16, 2021