A Viking voyage : in which an unlikely crew attempts an epic journey to the new world

A thoroughly enjoyable book. This account of a modern day group of (mostly inexperienced) men undertaking to recreate as closely as possible the Viking voyages from Greenland to Newfoundland is written in a mostly light-hearted vein and is liberally sprinkled with bits of Viking lore and history,

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making it both entertaining and enlightening. Amusing instead of macho. Makes me wish I'd been along on the trip.

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An excellent book, on par with Tim Severin's 'Sindbad Voyage' and well ahead of anything by Thor Heyerdhal. Hodding decides to retrace the route of Viking seafarers from Greenland to Newfoundland in an authentic Viking long boat. This had been done before, but never by a boat without a 'backup'

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engine or escort ship. This is central to Hodding's theme, the seach for authentic experience which he pursues in respect of the ship, the crew and himself. Hodding is painfully but engagingly candid when discussing how far short he fell of his ideals in all of these areas, and how difficult this pursuit made life for himself and his crew. The imperfection of people and place and circumstance are brilliantly conveyed with a real sense of oppression, but always redeemed (and lightened) by the character of the crew, the people they meet along the way, and ultimately by the insight that Hodding drags from his own tortured experience. If this was just a travel or a history book it would be a very good book, but it is considerably better than that.

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