The Viking Great Army and the Making of England

De: Dawn M. Hadley, Julian D. Richards

Narrado por: Mary Sarah

When the Viking Great Army swept through England between 865 and 878 CE, the course of English history was forever changed. The people of the British Isles had become accustomed to raids for silver and prisoners, but 865 CE saw a fundamental shift as the Norsemen stayed through winter and became immersed in the heart of the nation. The Viking army was here to stay. This critical period for English history led to revolutionary changes in the fabric of society, creating the growth of towns and industry, transforming power politics, and ultimately leading to the rise of Alfred the Great and Wessex as the preeminent kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England.

Authors Dawn Hadley and Julian Richards, specialists in Anglo-Saxon and Viking Age archaeology, draw on the most up-to-date scientific techniques and excavations, including their recent research at the Great Army's camp at Torksey. Together they unravel the movements of the Great Army across England like a detective story, while piecing together a new picture of the Vikings in unimaginable detail. Hadley and Richards unearth the swords and jewelry the Vikings manufactured, examine how they buried their great warriors, and which everyday objects they discarded. These discoveries revolutionized what is known of the size, complexity, and social makeup of the army.

©2021 Thames & Hudson Ltd, London; text copyright 2021 Dawn M. Hadley and Julian D. Richards (P)2022 Tantor

Poor narration ruins important historical work

This narrator, as others have noted, is not suited to this type of work. Her cadence is choppy and distracting, causing confusion. Her tone is unserious and more appropriate for a fiction story. Her pronunciation of ‘t’ and ‘d’ ending sounds is rendered as ‘th’ in most cases and is extremely annoying. It’s unfortunate because the work is illuminating about Viking history. I had to listen to this for a graduate level class and therefore had to stick it out to the end, but I am not surprised other reviewers didn’t make it.

Speaker tone and cadence was terrible

Speaker was terrible. Tone of voice cadence was awkward. Distraction from the content. I’ll get a refund for this book.

Snoozefest

I’m very interested in this period and I gave up on this book. It was extremely boring and didn’t seem to have much a point except to talk about the archeological finds. The narration was strange as the story inflection seemed off.

HORRIBLE NARRATOR!

Could not get through this book as it's narrator was horrible. Every S she pronounced was like fingernails on a chalkboard! And I can't return it? HORRIBLE! I tried so many times again and again to listen and changed the narration speed and still couldn't do it. I'd REALLY like to listen to this book but with another narrator please! That poor woman needs to read with less drama maybe? I RETURNED this title only because of that.

Infantile narrator

She read the text in the tone of a fairy tale for a five year old.

narration horrible

could not listen to this. why is the narrator reading about discovered artifacts like she's reading a regency romance?

Serious Work Deserves Serious Narration

Listener beware. The person reading the book must be on strong drugs. This is supposed to be a serious work of history. It deserves a serious narrator. I could not get through the second chapter before deciding to order the book. I wasted my money on this Audible version. My recommendation: AVOID.

Inconsistent Cadence

Sounds as if ‘performed’ by a theater actor, making it challenging to follow. Poorest narrative I’ve heard in an audiobook. Taught me to read the performance reviews. Will buy or borrow the book if interested in following up on the scholarship.