What It Was Like to be a Viking

From traders to raiders, embark on an incredible voyage through Viking life and history in the first in an exciting new series from bestselling non-fiction writer David Long.

The Vikings were a terrifying force that changed history across the globe – from Canada all the way to Iraq. But they were merchants as well as marauders, explorers as well as adventurers. The greatest seafarers and shipbuilders of their age, they were also skilled metalworkers and artists, farmers and fishermen, healers and herders. They were even democrats who established the world’s oldest surviving parliament. Award-winning writer David Long’s concise but wide-ranging account brings their fascinating civilisation into focus, explaining what Viking life was actually like as well as considering their lingering influence throughout the world.

Reviews

"Long skilfully explains everything from Viking politics to archaeology in this fact-packed and accessible introduction to a long-ago civilisation … With all the intriguing facts and characters brought to vivid life by Stefano Tambellini’s rich artwork … this promises to be a top class series from a dynamic writing and illustration duo." – Lancashire Post

"I have learnt many new things about the Vikings, which has made me want to carry on learning about the Vikings." – Books Up North, Kid's Book Review

"The first volume in an informative non-fiction series … Comparisons with contemporary objects help children to conceptualise Viking artefacts and ideas … The attractive black-and-white illustrations bring the text to life and include useful labelled diagrams." – BookTrust

"Long achieves the feat of creating a guide that feels concise yet incredibly comprehensive … Tambellini’s artwork is superb; battle scenes capture the ferocity of Viking warriors, cutaways are excellent … This is an essential book for the classroom that will be devoured by young historians." – A Word About Books, blog

About the author

David Long is a journalist and author of non-fiction for both adults and children. A writer since leaving university, his work has appeared in the Sunday Times and London’s Evening Standard. His engaging non-fiction reflects his unquenchable thirst for fascinating stories from the past, and in 2017 his book Survivors won the Blue Peter Award for the best book with facts.