The Wolf Age
The Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea Empire
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
“Skeie’s account of ruthless conflict, political intrigue, and diplomatic machinations reads like a real-life Game of Thrones—without the dragons. Medieval history buffs will be riveted.” --Publishers Weekly
Thrilling history provides a new perspective on the Viking-Anglo Saxon conflicts and brings the bloody period vividly to life, perfect for fans of Dan Jones
The first major book on Vikings by a Scandinavian author to be published in English, The Wolf Age reframes the struggle for a North Sea empire and puts readers in the mindset of Vikings, providing new insight into their goals, values, and what they chose to live and die for.
Tore Skeie ("Norway's Most Important Young Historian") takes readers on a thrilling journey through the bloody shared history of England and Scandinavia, and on across early medieval Europe, from the wild Norwegian fjords to the wealthy cities of Muslim Andalusia.
Warfare, plotting, backstabbing and bribery abound as Skeie skillfully weaves sagas and skaldic poetry with breathless dramatization as he entertainingly brings the world of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons to vivid life.
In the eleventh century, the rulers of the lands surrounding the North Sea are all hungry for power. To get power they need soldiers, to get soldiers they need silver, and to get silver there is no better way than war and plunder.
This vicious cycle draws all the lands of the north into a brutal struggle for supremacy and survival that will shatter kingdoms and forge an empire…
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Medieval historian Skeie makes his English-language debut with a gripping, detailed account of the 11th-century struggle for dominion over a North Sea empire stretching from England in the west to Denmark and Norway in the east. Drawing on Scandinavian histories, Icelandic sagas, skaldic poetry, and archaeological discoveries, Skeie breathes new life into the epic conflict between Anglo-Saxon king Æthelred, Danish ruler Cnut the Great, and Norwegian king Olaf Haraldsson for supremacy in Northern Europe. Beginning in the late 10th century, Skeie details how sporadic Viking raids on England shifted to invasion and conquest as Æthelred's power and influence collapsed under the combined might of Cnut's Danes and his Norwegian allies. In 1016, Cnut became king of England, and soon thereafter inherited the throne of Denmark. Through military and political manipulation, he eventually established his authority in Norway as well, completing his conquest of the North Sea empire. Meticulously researched, Skeie's account of ruthless conflict, political intrigue, and diplomatic machinations reads like a real-life Game of Thrones—without the dragons. Medieval history buffs will be riveted. Illus.
