Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Lion Hudson Publishing , via netgalley, review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.
It might not seem like Irish history,
but this book might just be a revelation about our ancient Irish past!
Synopsis:
The popular image of the Vikings is of tall red-headed men, raping and pillaging their way around the coast of Europe, stopping only to ransack monasteries and burn longships. But the violent Vikings of the 8th century became the pious Christians of the 11th century, who gave gold crosses to Christian churches and in whose areas of rule pagan idols were destroyed and churches were built. So how did this radical transformation happen, and why? What difference did it make to the Vikings, and to those around them, and what is their legacy today? This book takes a "global" look at this key period in Viking history, exploring all the major areas of Viking settlement. Written to be an accessible and engaging overview for the general reader.
Review:
First off you have to understand that Martyn has written 47 history books, MANY of them on the Norse, Viking and Anglo-Saxons, so he KNOWS what he is talking about. he has literally spent a LIFE time researching this topic and it shows on EVERY page! This sincerely is one of the best history books I've read! There is SO much in each chapter to learn, even those of us who THINK we know this story!
Did you know that not only was the first settlement in North America a Viking one,so was the birth of the first CHRISTIAN child! Didn't realize that the Vikings, aka the Norse, were Christian? Yup! Christianity was a way for the Viking chiefs to unit the different tribes, and to make compacts and bindings with their Anglo enemies. And it wasn't just in Norway and North America, but in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Denmark, Sweden, Normandy, and even into Russia (Kiev region). Suddenly the raging Vikings look more like an empire to rival Britain and Spain, don't they? And in fact, without the Viking/Norse influence, Northern Europe and Western Russia might not look the way they do today (and also went a LONG way to explain some of my DNA genealogy findings).
I wish this was a book that I had read back in high school BEFORE European history, as it would have made so much more make SENSE. Not to mention give a proper perspective of actual history! Now all the Anglo Saxon warfare and royalty changes are understandable, as they rotated from Anglo to Norse to Anglo, and lines of succession intermarried and shifted! It also goes a long way into helping to explain why the Celts have such a deep seated hatred of the Anglos that came and took over from the Norse invaders. They just swapped one invader for another, who also sought to take away their culture and religion! In Ireland and Scotland, there was a typical settle and take over, but how the different tribes merged and combined, keeping parts of each original culture was intriguing. And then they were bound together in Christianity-showing how the MESSAGE resounded with all.
Much more than just a simple Viking history book, this book is an amazing look at the history of Christianity and how the Norse spread it among their empire. It should be required reading for all history students, and I HIGHLY recommend it for homeschool high schoolers!
About the Authors:
Martyn Whittock graduated in Politics from Bristol University in 1980. He taught history for thirty-five years and latterly was curriculum leader for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education at a Wiltshire secondary school. He is a Licensed Lay Minister in the Church of England. He has acted as an historical consultant to the National Trust and English Heritage. He retired from teaching in July 2016 to devote more time to writing.
He is the author or co-author of forty-seven books, including school history textbooks and adult history books. The latter include: A Brief History Of Life in the Middle Ages (2009), A Brief History of the Third Reich (2011), A Brief Guide To Celtic Myths and Legends (2013), The Viking Blitzkrieg AD789-1098 (2013), The Anglo-Saxon Avon Valley Frontier (2014), 1016 and 1066: Why The Vikings Caused The Norman Conquest (2016), Norse Myths and Legends (2017), When God Was King (2018), The Vikings: from Odin to Christ (2018). The last two published by Lion Hudson. Also co-written with his daughter, Esther, is Christ: The First Two Thousand Years (2016). The Story of the Cross is their second collaborative venture. Both books are published by Lion Hudson.
Hannah Whittock was awarded a First in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic Studies and an MPhil in the same period of history by Cambridge University
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