Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Basic Books (2020), 624 pages
Description
"The Viking Age--between 750 and 1050--saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they reshaped the world between eastern North America and the Asian steppe. Based on the latest archaeological and textual evidence, Children of Ash and Elm tells the story of the Vikings on their own terms: their politics, their cosmology, their art and culture. From Björn Ironside, who led an expedition to sack Rome, to Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir, the most traveled woman in the world, Price shows us the real Vikings, not the caricatures they've become in popular culture and history"--
User reviews
LibraryThing member Stbalbach
Price relies on the latest academic research to determine what the Vikings were actually like "from the inside looking out". If you were born a Viking and raised in that world, this is a roadmap of what you might know: cosmology, mythology, diet, economics, warfare, sexuality, political
The society was born in the multicausal catastrophe of the 500s, when over 50% of the population of Scandinavia died, disrupting the old order and giving rise to new hardened local clans who battled one another continually creating a culture that prioritized violence as a means to survive. What triggered the raiding is a matter of debate but it appears to have happened by accident and gradually over time as word spread of success, the Viking nexus originating in south-west Norway. They were traders before becoming raiders with the economy centered on wool and wood, both needed in vast quantities to support the making of ships, sails, ropes and clothing. A walk though a Viking town would smell like a sawmill and wet wool, sheep and sawdust everywhere. It might take 30 people working full-time for 2 years to make a ship, an expensive proposition, however much of the labor was done by slaves who worked under appalling conditions. The Vikings kept a lot of slaves, mostly other Europeans, a practice undermined by Christianity late in the period. The Viking era lasted about 300 years from ca. 750 to 1066, or only about 10 consecutive generations, during which time they changed as rapidly as the change they caused. They were bridge builders similar to the steppe nomads, moving goods and culture between the east, west and north.
Children of Ash and Elm is remarkable. I've been looking for a good history of the Vikings for over a decade and this is the one. It's readable, evocative, detailed and leaves one wanting to learn even more, Price is an enthusiastic teacher. I wish more books about ancient peoples were this well done, it sets a standard.
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organizations, art, architecture, etc.. by looking inside out it humanizes and dispels myths. For example, they were actually neat and cleanly groomed, combed hair, wore colorful dress, the opposite of the scary looking icons. In some other ways they were even more violent than supposed.The society was born in the multicausal catastrophe of the 500s, when over 50% of the population of Scandinavia died, disrupting the old order and giving rise to new hardened local clans who battled one another continually creating a culture that prioritized violence as a means to survive. What triggered the raiding is a matter of debate but it appears to have happened by accident and gradually over time as word spread of success, the Viking nexus originating in south-west Norway. They were traders before becoming raiders with the economy centered on wool and wood, both needed in vast quantities to support the making of ships, sails, ropes and clothing. A walk though a Viking town would smell like a sawmill and wet wool, sheep and sawdust everywhere. It might take 30 people working full-time for 2 years to make a ship, an expensive proposition, however much of the labor was done by slaves who worked under appalling conditions. The Vikings kept a lot of slaves, mostly other Europeans, a practice undermined by Christianity late in the period. The Viking era lasted about 300 years from ca. 750 to 1066, or only about 10 consecutive generations, during which time they changed as rapidly as the change they caused. They were bridge builders similar to the steppe nomads, moving goods and culture between the east, west and north.
Children of Ash and Elm is remarkable. I've been looking for a good history of the Vikings for over a decade and this is the one. It's readable, evocative, detailed and leaves one wanting to learn even more, Price is an enthusiastic teacher. I wish more books about ancient peoples were this well done, it sets a standard.
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LibraryThing member CurrerBell
I found most of this book very tedious reading. The dust jacket description promised a history of the Vikings – "their politics, their cosmology and religion, their material world" – based on "the latest archaeological and textual evidence." My purchase was a bit impulsive, because it turns out
Still, I labored through to the finish, and I have to respect the author's achievement, hence 5*****; but considering that my interest is far more literary than archaeological, I would have preferred a lot more discussion of the sagas and a lot less discussion of funerary burial objects. That's just my preference, though, and I can't blame the author for his emphases considering that he is a very distinguished archaeology professor and department chair at Uppsala University, Sweden.
A couple of other observations....
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that the book is primarily archaeological and I wouldn't have bought it if I'd realized this.Still, I labored through to the finish, and I have to respect the author's achievement, hence 5*****; but considering that my interest is far more literary than archaeological, I would have preferred a lot more discussion of the sagas and a lot less discussion of funerary burial objects. That's just my preference, though, and I can't blame the author for his emphases considering that he is a very distinguished archaeology professor and department chair at Uppsala University, Sweden.
A couple of other observations....
- The book includes a 61-page section of "References." This isn't just any old run-of-the-mill bibliography. It's a detailed description of numerous individual works, which students will find to be an invaluable resource.
- Although a terminological glossary might have proven helpful, I found the author's index to be sufficiently comprehensive that I was able to locate earlier textual references to Scandinavian words when I'd forgotten their translations on second appearances.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
A detailed study of the emergence of Viking culture and its widespread influence from the Middle East to North America. The book is full of myth busting and nuggets of important data that educated me as a college history teacher. A great example is that the people known as Rus credited as the
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founding group of the Russian culture were of Viking origin. I had no idea. He looks into raids, religion, culture and lifestyle throughout the ages. Anyone interesting in the Viking's fascinating story should read this book and you will be astounded by their influence now and today. Show Less
LibraryThing member jetangen4571
This is not a tedious university text but a very readable melding of archaeology, lore, and more complete with photos and maps (thus the innumerable page count). It presents the religion of the Northmen, why they believed as they did, why they began to move away from the lands they knew, the
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Perseus Books/Basic Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
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purpose of the written records they left behind, and more. It's extensive and it points out the use that various authors have made of the lore and the language. It also points out that much of what we think we know of their past was written by the literate Christians who wanted them destroyed as heathens. I think of this book as a "read through and then keep at hand as a reference tool". But I plan to get a print copy as the photos and maps are easier to enjoy in that format.I requested and received a free ebook copy from Perseus Books/Basic Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
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LibraryThing member tamidale
I must admit, I was not prepared for the level of in-depth research that Neil Price included in this book. He left no stone unturned. Everything from the Viking beginnings, the raids, social and sexual lives, religion, their political structure and more is included in the book. In many ways, they
I was pleased to find that what I did know of the Vikings was validated in Price’s work. Included were famous Viking warriors of the past that really did exist and made their mark on the world, such as Ragnor Lothbrook and Ivan the boneless.
I wish the author had split this book up into two parts. It was quite an undertaking and there was a plethora of information to consider. Readers who are looking for a detailed, comprehensive history of the Vikings will find this a perfect choice.
This reads more like a college textbook and at times I found my mind wandering, but at other times, I was fascinated that the the author included so much from archeology and stories that are passed down, whether in written of verbal form.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Perseus Books for allowing me to read and review an advance copy and give an honest review.
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were ahead of their time and more enlightened than we are today.I was pleased to find that what I did know of the Vikings was validated in Price’s work. Included were famous Viking warriors of the past that really did exist and made their mark on the world, such as Ragnor Lothbrook and Ivan the boneless.
I wish the author had split this book up into two parts. It was quite an undertaking and there was a plethora of information to consider. Readers who are looking for a detailed, comprehensive history of the Vikings will find this a perfect choice.
This reads more like a college textbook and at times I found my mind wandering, but at other times, I was fascinated that the the author included so much from archeology and stories that are passed down, whether in written of verbal form.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Perseus Books for allowing me to read and review an advance copy and give an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
If you ever think you might want to be an anthropologist when you grow up, this book will set you straight. It's dull as dust. I can see the scholarship is well done, but, unless you're in love with all things Viking, I can't imagine devoting your life to it.
LibraryThing member SChant
An excellent and thorough exploration of the world of the Vikings using archaeology, contemporary sources, and later writings to develop an expansive view of their lives and world-views. It would have been 5/5 but the maps at the front are poor - gray on gray with tiny writing.
LibraryThing member fiverivers
I received notification of this remarkable book through a group of archeologists specializing in Scandinavian history, specifically Viking. Their praise of Neil Price's work did not disappoint.
My interest in this history pertains to a current novel in progress of my own, and certainly I've come
Written in an easy-to-read style, without compromising the importance of the information, Price details the cause of the Viking diaspora, the extent of it, their extraordinary and often violent culture, trade routes, spheres of influence, and a great deal more. This is essential reading, in my opinion, for anyone who has an interest in Viking culture.
My interest in this history pertains to a current novel in progress of my own, and certainly I've come
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away with a head bursting with all the latest findings, research, and an understanding of the Viking Era.Written in an easy-to-read style, without compromising the importance of the information, Price details the cause of the Viking diaspora, the extent of it, their extraordinary and often violent culture, trade routes, spheres of influence, and a great deal more. This is essential reading, in my opinion, for anyone who has an interest in Viking culture.
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LibraryThing member annbury
I loved this book. I learned a lot from it, and it was an far more enjoyable read than many history books. True: it is Viking history seen through a 21rst Century lens, particularly in regard to gender. This irked many reviewers, and somewhat startled me. There are many questions about the past
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(and indeed about the present) that are impossible to answer definitively, and this book takes views on many of them. Still and all, a great read and a mind-opening experience. Show Less
LibraryThing member AMKitty
Approximately 1/3 through the audiobook. Fascinating information marred only by the author’s application of modern day woke-ist ideologies regarding gender and slavery. Because the overall information is interesting, I am trying to ignore the ridiculousness of such comments; but I will certainly
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be glad when those ideas go the way of dinosaurs and dodos. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020
Physical description
9.7 inches
ISBN
0465096980 / 9780465096985