It has been three years since I read and reviewed this book - but that review has been lost. I can still say, however, that it was a well written and impactful book. The Viking experience was an important one in shaping the late-medieval and early-modern eras, but one which is usually short changed in a world or European history class. Price's book filled many holes for me even after teaching those history classes for nearly 20 years. I continue to use information from the book and recommend it to any scholar of this era.

Real Rating: 4.5* of five, rounded up

This is the most compact (at under 650 pages) and the most comprehensive overview I've ever read of the "Viking Age" Norse as we here to their South call the multiple groups of Scandinavian traders, slavers, warriors, and rapists who burst the seams of their colossally cold homeland in search of new lands and lots of money. Spoiler alert: they got them.
<blockquote>If the data from the Continental written sources is combined, the protection money paid to the Vikings during the ninth century totalled about thirty thousand pounds' weight of silver, most of it in cash: a sum equivalent to seven million silver pennies over a period when the estimated total output of the Frankish mints was in the region of fifty million coins. This equates to approximately 14 percent of the entire monetary output of the Frankish empire—for a century—evaporated in the payment of extortion demands that produced no tangible positive gain, and, in many cases, failed to appease the Vikings anyway.</blockquote>
(italics in the original)

There is so much to unpack in that passage...it's shockingly obvious that appeasement is seldom a worthwhile strategy, and is always an expensive one; the reputation of the Norse people as warriors was such that they merely needed to show up to be given boatloads of money to go away again; and the tribute in kind, not just the cash they brought home, kept the balance of hunger on the rightful owners of the land and food not the invaders. The Frankish kingdom, then, was more changed by its experience of Viking invasion than was even England, though both countries saw significant influxes of Norse population, arriving to make the country their home...with variable amounts of success.

That is all part of the middle, or "Viking" era that this volume is divided into. The first part of the text is called the "Migration" era. It is the time that saw huge cultural and climatic changes in Europe. There was pressure to find land to farm and patches of sea to exploit during this time, as well as the successor states to the Roman Empire arising and contending with each other for influence and territory. And ending the book is a kind of summation of the influence this phenomenally active and successful force in the world.

I was delighted to have the maps to help me interpret the movements and stations of Norse cultural expansion. I was also impressed wt the copiousness of the in-line illustrations. It is expensive to make a book this attractive and it's not a terribly pricey purchase at $35 for a hardcover. Basic Books has done a creditable job of this without making it a coffee-table book or a category-gift book.

Author Neil Price is a professional archaeologist. It is evident from the tone and tenor of his writing that his primary interest is in making you aware of the facts; he doesn't make the same amount of effort with the storytelling aspects of his writing. I've excerpted one of the typical passages where he's clearly making the effort to show the reader how phenomenally effective the Vikings were at their chosen task of redistributing others' wealth back to themselves. It's a fact, presented factually, that conveys a gigantic emotive affect of the Viking warriors. It is laudably clear; it is admirably placed for effect within the text (you'll have to trust me on that one); but it doesn't rise as high into the rhetorical clouds as Author Tore's book does.

It is, as a gift item, a good value; as a gift received, a real pleasure on all levels. It's a hefty tome, though, so for your friends whose needs are more for thinner reads, the ebook is a dead cheap choice!

Either way anyone wanting an accessible, enjoyable, and thoroughgoing overview of the Vikings as historical actors is in luck this Yule.

A dense, full tome about the history of Vikings, as the author understands it, and therein is the only complaint I have about this book - in some places I know which contradictory evidence he's seen and has either not realised it was contradictory or chose one path or the other. I'm pagan/Norse, so a fair portion of this stuff was just fine, but there are just a couple of places I didn't agree with conclusions. It's also SUCH a dense book. When I first had to put it down to write the review (even though I'm late posting) I'd only got about 40% into it. It's more college textbook than casual reference, but very good and a worthy perspective - with maybe a couple of tiny pinches of salt, where the linguistic provenance of the information could be questioned due to misunderstandings in translation (yeah, really, I'm that nit-picky, and it's not losing a star for it).
The star loss is it really could have done with being split in two. I understand and appreciate why not, but there's really so much in there that the denseness is palpable and could put others off.

A really good book.

*I received this book free from NetGalley and Perseus Books, Basic Books in exchange for an honest review.*

As you can assume from the title, this was one of the easiest 5 stars I've ever given.

Given that this is a non-fiction, I won't be explaining world-building or characters. I can otherwise tell you that this book is not lacking on excitement and interesting facts.

mazing job at creating a history book that would not be boring but, on the contrary, quite interesting; so much so that I could not put this down!

There was much information that I had not previously found altogether on one book, such as the indication that there were trans and genderfluid people in Viking societies, that they were probably accepted even though gay men were not, that not only did divorce exist, but also that women could file it simply based on the fact that they got tired of the other person, which is something I don't think happened in any other society at the time; especially the ones embedded in Catholicism.

The writing style made the reading lighter, so easier. There's kind of a mixed format that includes, aside from the text/narration, fractions of poems and other writings from the times and pictures of items found in research and excavations to support arguments stated on the text.

term and historical event is explained, so you're never left wondering what a term means or why something happened a certain way.

This book also focuses on clarifying some myths regarding the "Vikings", including the meaning of this word and why it's not correct to call Scandinavians in such a way, which I had no idea about.

Finally, instead of being divided in a timeline (a different era per chapter), it is separated on cultural aspects that made this people who they were, which gives you a 360º perspective and a deeper understanding of the aspects that reflect a certain idiosyncrasy.

If you're interested in Scandinavian history and mythology and are normally reluctant to read an academic book on the topic, this book is for you!

Hope you let me know if you buy the book or if you have read it.

A very interesting history of the Vikings. The author’s background as an archaeologist really colours his approach to writing, making it different from the usual history.

Neil Price has crafted a wonderful and comprehensive introduction to the nuances of Viking life. It’s hefty, it’s dense, and I will freely admit at times to finding it a little dry, but if you follow the trail Price leads you on, the journey is worth the price of admission. It’s delightfully filled with unexpected rabbit holes and detailed descriptions, which truly (as the cliche goes) makes the history come alive. I’d wholly recommend Children of Ash and Elm to anyone looking to flesh out their binges on Viking-era TV, or looking for a scholarly but readable introduction to everything from Viking sexuality to religion.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance digital reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a fantastic book on Vikings and their world. One of the things I enjoyed most was the discussion of how recent discoveries have upended our understanding of who and what the Vikings were: more heterogeneous, more widespread, less violent, and likely less strict with regards to gender than were thought. And the book is very readable.

I didn't quite know what to expect when I picked up a history of Vikings, but I was engrossed by Neil Price's Children of Ash and Elm. It's a fascinating look at the real history of this group - apart from the caricatures seen in cultural references.

For a 600+ page archaeological tome, this book reads like fiction at times.- in the best way. He neither demonizes nor glorifies the Vikings. Instead, readers get a look into a worldview never before fully realized.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I am ashamed to say that all of my previous knowledge about Vikings came directly from the history channel series of that same name and from the Netflix original series The Lost Kingdom. Children of Ash and Elm by Neil Price is a textbook amount of information that reads more like a novel in places. I learned all the things about ancient Scandinavia, the lands and the people, the religion and the raiding. Even with all of this information, I never felt overwhelmed or bogged down in extraneous facts. The audiobook is another very helpful resource and I highly recommend reading and listening in conjunction because the narrator does a phenomenal job of conveying Price’s research. Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this advanced copy!!

A beautifully written, engaging history of the Vikings and their world. Very detailed but never boring, thanks to the passion and the talent of the author. He deconstructs many myths and misunderstandings around this topic, presenting his characters with empathy but without any bias. A slow read, but worth it.

Thanks to the publisher, Perseus Books/Basic Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book..

This is a book I think I need to go back and re-read. It's an excellent account of the vikings, filled with research (the bibliography at the back will keep me busy!). The author is passionate and well-credentialed in his subject and it shines through in his writing. His work attempts to remove the myth that usually surrounds vikings (horned helmets, etc) and show who they really were, which ends up being much more fascinating.

I must admit, I was not prepared for the level of in-depth research that Neil Price included in this book. He left no stone unturned. Everything from the Viking beginnings, the raids, social and sexual lives, religion, their political structure and more is included in the book. In many ways, they were ahead of their time and more enlightened than we are today.

I was pleased to find that what I did know of the Vikings was validated in Price’s work. Included were famous Viking warriors of the past that really did exist and made their mark on the world, such as Ragnor Lothbrook and Ivan the boneless.

I wish the author had split this book up into two parts. It was quite an undertaking and there was a plethora of information to consider. Readers who are looking for a detailed, comprehensive history of the Vikings will find this a perfect choice.

This reads more like a college textbook and at times I found my mind wandering, but at other times, I was fascinated that the the author included so much from archeology and stories that are passed down, whether in written of verbal form.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Perseus Books for allowing me to read and review an advance copy and give an honest review.

Neil Price is a scholar that I've admired for many years and I've frequently returned to works of his over and over for my own research so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Children of Ash and Elm. To be frank, this is one of the best books on the Vikings I've ever read and that is for many reasons. One of those reasons is how Neil Price writes. This is not a dense nonfiction where you feel like you're in over your head. He writes in a way that feels conversational and also relates the Vikings to the modern-day in extremely interesting ways.

Another thing of major value here is that Neil Price does not do what so many scholars before him have done; he doesn't separate things into different arenas. This book makes it clear that the same people conquering Iceland and sailing to North America were also present in Russia at the same. This is of great importance to a beginner in this time period, in my opinion.

Neil Price also has the gift of asking "what if" in an incredibly nuanced way. He proposes ideas about different archaeological digs or events in Viking society that seem viable, especially because he backs them up with his own research. On the whole, I just adore this book. It might be my favorite Viking nonfiction of all time (and that's saying something as this is one of my niche time periods). It has some outstanding new research and ideas for those returning to the world of the Vikings and is a great place to begin for those who are new.

Thank you to Netgalley and Basic Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

i really learned a lot about vikings due to this book, it was a really good read and I enjoyed reading it.

There are certain names from history with the power to conjure up vivid images in the minds of any who hear them. Mention Vikings and most of us immediately think of dragon-headed boats bringing bloodthirsty, axe-wielding pagans ready to deal in death and destruction. Perhaps we also imagine barbaric rituals and convents being despoiled. This is because for hundreds of years most of the literature about them came from the quills of monks and clerics who had no cause to love these Men from the North.

The folk that we now lump together under the term Vikings left very little written record of themselves but there is plenty of evidence should you care to look. Dedicated historians and archeologists like Professor Neil Price are lifting the veil on this fascinating, misunderstood group of people who dramatically affected large swathes of Europe and Asia and still leave their imprint today.

This book is full of insight and written in a tone suited to a layperson and perfect for the armchair historian. I loved the surprising nuggets of information that bring a deeper understanding of the people and how their society was formed. For instance the revelation that a series of large volcanic eruptions in the 6th Century caused cataclysmic environmental changes lasting decades, cursing the Scandinavian region with deprivation and famine on a huge scale. This period was so terrifying that it informed their vision of the end of the world; Ragnarok, and ultimately contributed to the strategies and practices developed by their descendants.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Extremely thorough and entertaining history of the Vikings. You usually expect such big book to become boring the but it never does. The author presents information that challenges your stereotype of vikings and shows what a big impact they had on the world. Highly recommend.

I love archaeology, ancient cultures, and mythology. I requested this book on a whim thinking it was just going to be a simple book on the Vikings- I should have looked before I left, ie, check the page count. I was also completely unprepared for how in-depth and comprehensive this book was going to be, I would say its more for someone who already has quite a lot of knowledge about the Vikings and their culture, as opposed to me, a complete novice on the Vikings.
I spent a week reading this book and managed to get about 30% into it, and I was a little lost. I was enjoying what I was reading and would continue if I had the time for it (I have a lot of books to review this month). I will be purchasing this book as it was super interesting, however, I’ll read some beginner books on the Vikings beforehand to get a better grasp on the subject.

Overall, I enjoyed it, I'm quite disappointed in myself that I was not able to give this book the time it deserved.
3 stars, likely would’ve given it a higher rating if I was able to continue.

**ARC provided by Perseus Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Important perspective
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2020
I have been a student of the Vikings and Viking Age for almost a decade through university courses, readings, visits to Scandinavian countries, and more. I have tried to separate myth from truth. That is exactly what Neil Price does in his well-researched book “Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings”.

In addition to extremely detailed descriptions of religion, historic events, villages, buildings (down to the door hinges), etc., Price shares his understanding of the thinking and reasoning of the Vikings. He gives us not only the what, but also the why. His point of view is that of the northern people themselves, not of those who wrote about them after the fact.

“Children of Ash and Elm” is a refreshing, important and, I believe, more honest perspective than one usually finds.

This is not a tedious university text but a very readable melding of archaeology, lore, and more complete with photos and maps (thus the innumerable page count). It presents the religion of the Northmen, why they believed as they did, why they began to move away from the lands they knew, the purpose of the written records they left behind, and more. It's extensive and it points out the use that various authors have made of the lore and the language. It also points out that much of what we think we know of their past was written by the literate Christians who wanted them destroyed as heathens. I think of this book as a "read through and then keep at hand as a reference tool". But I plan to get a print copy as the photos and maps are easier to enjoy in that format.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Perseus Books/Basic Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This book although quite lenghty was extremely well written. I love how well the author made the material engaging, especially in the beginning. There were definitely dry areas that I kind of just skimmed, but only because I struggle reading huge non-fiction books. I definitely would have liked this one a bit better if it was smaller. I felt like the maps, etc were well chosen and that this book was definitely directed at higher educated people. To read this book one will probably need to be very interested in the subject matter.