The Vikings and Their Enemies

Warfare in Northern Europe, 750-1100

By: Philip Line

Narrated by: Robert Fass

A fresh account of some of history's greatest warriors. The Vikings had an extraordinary and far-reaching historical impact. From the eighth to the 11th centuries, they ranged across Europe - raiding, exploring, and colonizing - and their presence was felt as far away as Russia and Byzantium. They are most famous as warriors, yet perhaps their talent for warfare is too little understood.

Philip Line, in this scholarly and highly interesting study of the Viking age, uses original documentary sources - the chronicles, sagas, and poetry - and the latest archaeological evidence to describe how the Vikings and their enemies in northern Europe organized for war. His graphic examination gives an up-to-date interpretation of the Vikings' approach to violence and their fighting methods that will be fascinating listening for anyone who is keen to understand how they operated and achieved so much in medieval Europe. He explores the practicalities of waging war in the Viking age, including compelling accounts of the nature of campaigns and raids and detailed accounts of Viking-age battles on land and sea, using all the available evidence to give an insight into the experience of combat. Throughout this fascinating book, Philip Line seeks to dispel common myths about the Vikings and misconceptions about their approach to warfare.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2014 Philip Line; First Skyhorse Publishing edition 2015 (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

misleading regarding Vikings

if you are looking for Viking information this book has far too many influences in other information which if burning for Vikings you will be overwhelmed with numbers.

Interesting but not captivating

Lots of interesting detail on the Vikings in their enemies as the title implies, but lots of details, not much storyline to put it all together. Material is well presenter and somewhat fascinating in it's detail, however.

Excellent work.

This was very well written and I enjoyed the complexity of the history. This really helped me learn a little bit more and is only going to further my interest in vikings and the past.

Okay information, but misleading title

This book focuses on large-scale actions related to the Vikings. It's pretty academic, and spends a lot of time conveying lists of information that might be useful for citation, but are uninteresting in a narrative. At the end, I asked, "What did this matter? Why was it written?" I'm not sure.

I didn't notice any huge errors or problems. There's just not much there, as near as I can find, despite the length.

Real reference material.

Dense and a bit dry, but that’s what I was looking for. I learned a lot.