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The Vikings
An Illustrated History
Ailbhe MacShamhráin

‘Northmannia is the farthest country of the world… those who are removed beyond the Arctic tract along the ocean… it is said, are to this day so superior in the magic arts or incantations that they profess to know what everyone is doing the world over… I have heard that women grow beards in the extremely rough Alps of that region, and that men live in the woods, rarely exposing themselves to sight. They use the pelts of wild beast for their clothing and in speaking to one another are said to gnash their teeth rather than to utter words…’
- Adam of Bremen 1075 AD

Who were these furious people of the North?

Why did these ‘pagan pirates’ choose to colonise Ireland?

In The Vikings: An Illustrated History Ailbhe MacShamhráin investigates the Vikings – from the Early Iron Age of the 4th century AD to the Irish settlements of the 11th century AD – to explore the Scandinavian adventurer-explorers whose maritime exploits are now known as the Viking Age.

From runic inscriptions, to the corrupt power politics of Hiberno-Scandinavian society, exotic ship burials leading to Valhalla, the cult of the Norse gods, violent and murderous raids, new Scandinavian dynasties and Brian Bóruma and the Battle of Clontarf, numerous quotations, photographs and illustrations re-create a fascinating and intriguing world.

As the Vikings forged eastwards into Russia and westwards to colonise Britain and Ireland they changed the face of continental Europe. The Vikings: An Illustrated History is a very accessible introduction to this vital period of European history, dealing with the legacy of the Vikings in a clear and absorbing way.

This new Merlin/Wolfhound edition of The Vikings offers an informative introduction for those who want a clear and simple understanding of these Scandinavian adventurers. This edition is the next offering in the new Merlin/Wolfhound series making some of the major events in Irish history accessible and easy to understand.