I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

4 stars. Fascinating history book that reads like fiction. I had always been interested in "Vikings" but knew little. Recommended.

Great historical nonfiction read! Highly recommend it to fans of the genre and those looking to expand their reading circle. Purchasing for library.

I had never heard of King Harald Hardrada of Norway before, and I really enjoy reading about history so this felt like a no brainer. I'm glad I did as this was very well-written and interesting.

The title of this book grabbed my attention, I always wanted to learn more about the Viking Kings. While I did learn a lot about King Harald Hadrada I also had a difficult time sometimes following the story. There was plenty of information about the politics of the time, the travels of King Hadrada and about the battles. The military history of this time period is amazing, but I was also lost at times because places and people where mentioned but I had no idea of who or where they came from. This was a good book but I wouldn't recommend it to someone that knows very little about this time in history or only knows of this time period through novels and TV shows. The book showed me I have a lot more to learn about this era and that it is rich in politics, military tactics and romance and treachery. This is a perfect book for anyone that is studing this era of history and wants a more indepth resource about King Hadrada.

Such a great book! The book reads like it’s a novel. I adore history (obviously since I’m studying history as an undergraduate) but the Viking era isn’t much talked about in my program and this book was absolutely amazing. I recommend it, 5 starts

"The Last Viking: The True Story of King Harald Hardrada and the End of the Norsemen" tells us of the life of King Harald III of Norway. Called Hardrada, or "Hard Ruler", you can see how he earned this name. This book was absolutely fascinating and read as fast and easily as a novel. The clear and enjoyable writing style really brought the events to life, and gave me a real sense to satisfaction when I reached the final page.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

In September 1066, before the Norman invasion, England is fighting to determine it’s future history, for it to be known as Anglo-Saxon or Viking. Leading the Vikings into this war is King Harald III Sigurdsson, also called Hardrada. The Last Viking is the biography of this mighty and renowned warrior of the 10th century.

REVIEW: In the resurgence of interest in Vikings, courtesy of the Netflix programme, The Last Kingdom and Amazon Primes’ Vikings, interest in these unique people has risen. But for the most part, what we know, is based on the oral legends of skalds. The written history of Vikings occurred some 200 years after the events. One such historian is Snorri Sturlson, who, it’s believed drew on the records found in the ‘Moldy Parchment’ (Morkinskinna) and the ‘Fair Parchment’ (Fargskinna) to write his own historical literature.
Using the works of Snorri and many other reference works, the list of reference works is over several pages long, Hollway has been able to write a detailed biography of the Last Viking, Harald. From his first battle as a young warrior all the way through to his last, you are enthralled by this giant of Norse history. You follow Harald all the way to Novgorod and his entry into the service of the Kievan Rus’ king, Yaroslav. Here he learned a new type of warfare, the blockade. Slowly starving the defenders, Harald learned the lesson of patience in warfare, while making a name for himself amongst the Rus.

From the Kievan Rus to the Nova Roma, the new Rome, to Constantinople. Here we find Harald as part of the Varangian Guard. Here we get to see what a Northmen thought of this magnificent city and all it had to offer. And while Harald is here, we learn of the fate of this magnificent city of the past. After nearly a decade Harald returns to the court of the Keivan Rus and here takes a bride. Not long after he returns to Norway and climbs to the throne.

But the tale of this warrior poet isn’t over. He soon turns his attention to England and the spoils it has to offer, and his claim to the throne. Harald’s saga ends with his death at Stamford Bridge, but his deeds live on through Hollway’s biography of King Harald Hardrada, The Last Viking

VERDICT: 4****/5 A rich telling of the saga, of the Last Viking, King Harald. All the research and legends woven into a history book that reads like a novel. An outstanding reference work for all Viking buffs and historians alike.

The review will be posted to my blog, The Word Whisperer, from the 24/08/21. It will also be posted to my Instragram: the_wordwhisperer; Facebook: @WordWhisper and Twitter: @TheWordWhisperer1, accounts
https://www.thewordwhisperer.online/post/the-last-viking-harald-sigurdsson

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. A good introduction to the extraordinary life of Viking king Harold Hardrada. Half-brother of the sainted King Olaf, having to flee into exile after the latter's death, serving the emperors and empresses of Byzantium around the Mediterranean - including Sicily and the Holy Lands, marrying the daughter of Yaroslav of Rus, returning to Norway to rule as king, and then his unsuccessful attempts to claim the thrones of Denmark and England. The first of the two King Haralds to die in 1066, the year of the Battle of Hastings. His army's last fight at Stamford Bridge brought a closure to the Viking Age. While I have read a lot about William the Conqueror and his opponent Harold of Wessex, this was the first biography I've read of Harald Hardrada.

This was an absolutely fascinating tale of one of the Viking Age’s most famous individuals. Hollway does an amazing job of portraying the life of Harald Hadrada and his globe trotting exploits. I would definitely recommend this work to those who may be fascinated by the Vikings and their world.

I really enjoyed this biography of Harald Hardrada. I knew a few details about his life, principally concerned with his 1066 invasion of England, but little about his life before then. This highly readable account looks at his life from The battle of Stiklestad, where his older brother died trying to reclaim his throne, his exile, and his return to claim Norway's throne. I found the details Hollway includes alongside the elements taken from the sagas very interesting, and although I personally would have liked a little more on the broader social aspects of the times, I found the politics and personalities came across really well.

I came to this book having only watched some shows on the Vikings, and the partially fictional series the Last Kingdom on Netflix (in other words, without much knowledge of the time period). This is a real historical figure worthy of an adaptation, because it is hard to fathom all that happened to Harald Hardrada, and all that he accomplished, happening in just 51 years of life. From Norway, to Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire, to England, Harald traveled and battled for much of his life. This book highlights the action, adventure, and political intrigue that Harald experienced as if you, as the reader, are standing there with him. The author is careful to point out where historical sources differ in their re-telling of events, and to point out what is only an educated guess rather than confirmed historical fact which I really appreciated. Overall, I thought this was a great book especially for readers like myself who are not already familiar with the time period. Because it reads like an adventure, I think this book would be a good foray into history/biography for readers who typically don't pick up books like that.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very good story telling of his life and told in a way that seems like a story. Good information and sourcing of what he went through

I really learned a lot from this book. I knew how Harald Hadrada's story ended at the battle of Stamford Bridge but not much about the rest of his life. I especially liked learning more about the Byzantine Empire and Kievan Rus and how Harald's life intersected with them. I did have to read this one slowly over the entire month as it was dense but it was definitely worth it.

The book is an actual history book quite different than the many books I have read that describe a period in time and actual events with the author providing conversations and situations appropriate to their interpretation of these occurrences.. Mr. Hollway presents an intellectual study of persons and periods in time based on original source material and material based on the sources cited. The book might be too dry for people seeking the novel like approach to their intake of history but for those interested in a portrait of an actual point in time and the people and events that occurred during that time it is a fascinating adventure very well worth the time and, yes, effort in reading it.
The period in question is the middle ages during the 11th century and culminating in 1066, or the battle of Hastings and associated fights. The author makes the point that his belief is that the golden age of the Vikings ends about than and the entrance of William the conqueror introduces the Normans from France beginning their incorporation into English life.. King Harald (called Hardrada or hard ruler) coming from Norway bursts upon the scene with a love of battle and an attitude of winner take all.
Harald loves war and battle, has a lot of women as sexual partners, marries at separate times a princess and an empress. Fights for or against anyone regardless of religion or pagan belief. He is also educated enough to write poetry and has amassed a fortune during his lifetime. He is as later literature describes a veritable man for all seasons and the epitome of a Viking during the last period that this group held sway.
Mr. Hollway does introduce an interesting fact taken from original source material citing a large scale temperature change during a period just prior to the action in his book. It got noticeably warmer and remained so seeming to repudiate today's emphasis on the need to spend fortunes on climate control when it is really a normality in our world and subject to nature's regular shifts. King Harald noted course changes necessary in his normal voyages as a consequence.

The Last Viking by Don Holloway was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. Like most people, I have always heard of the Vikings, the Norse ones from times past, not the Minnesota ones. This book mentions the Vikings in Canada hundreds of years before Columbus “discovered” the continent and this book describes the 300 year Medevial Warm Period changing into the Little Ice Age around 1000 AD. This was climate change before there was any of the alleged causes modern lefties decree as the cause. This book tells the story of the last Viking who wrote books and was a politician in Iceland, though the tales are all over Northern Europe. The story is told via old Viking tales, passed along the ages, many you may have heard a bit differently before. If you or someone you buy gifts for enjoys tales of Vikings or the Norseman, certainly give this book a read.

4 Stars

I have read of King Harald before but never have I read such an interesting page turner about a man that seemed larger than life when he was alive and even more so when he had died. Harald was seven feet tall in a time when that was extremely large. He was very brutal and with power he became very much entrenched in his Kingdom. I never realized the amount of politics and power broker type play that went on in the 1000s. I admired the man for a good portion of the book but as the tale unfolded I didn't find him as honorable as it started. The tale of Heming is a very interesting one. The use of christian relics is mentioned and I find that fascinating also. This book is excellent and anyone who is interested in history or the challenges that power give will find it realevant. Mr Hollway also gave me lots of other sagas to look for now, This book is rich in history and more study for those who marvel at our long forgotten past.

Don Hollway's book is an interesting introduction to one of Norway's most famous historical figures, and arguably one of the greatest warriors ever to have lived. Possibly most recognisable in Britain as one of the claimants to the British throne in 1066 (notably the Battle of Stanford Bridge where King Harald died), the book delves deep into his military exploits and sheds light on a political outlook that often gets ignored when looking into the history of Norway.

A fast-paced narrative padded out with original source material including the Norse sagas, Anglo-Saxon chronicles and even Harald's own words, The Last Viking is an accessible and enlightening read for anyone interested in Norse history.

The story of the larger than life Harald III Hardrada - the last "great" Viking - " ... a man who outlived his aged .... once feared and hated but now admired ..."

If you have never read about Harald, then this is the book for you - accessible, well researched, covering all the exploits that most men of his own lifetime had trouble keeping up with. It does focus a lot on the military aspect of his life, but those looking for some of the personal may find some diamonds among the rough.

A worthy tome for the library shelves.

Review posted on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53470750-the-last-viking

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of Don Holloway's book, The Last Viking: The True Story of King Harald Hardrada and the End of the Norsemen.

I think that I come to this book from a perspective that Holloway's book doesn't anticipate: I study the history of the English language, so the military events of 1066 in England hold significant importance for the course of the history of the English language. Holloway doesn't indulge in pointless "what-ifs" regarding the Battle of Stamford Bridge, and I respect and appreciate that. The one question that I wish he would have addressed more explicitly was the issue of communication--what languages, exactly, was Harald Hadrada using as he served in the Varangian guard in Constantiople? Were all the Vikings speaking Old Norse of sufficient mutual intelligibility that they never encountered moments of misunderstanding?

But these are my questions, which are far outside of Holloway's intended purposes. Holloway presents himself as Harald's last biographer, but in the course of narrating Harald's extraordinary biography, which begins in Norway, and extends across the battlefields and royal courts of Scandinavia, what is now the Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Byzantium, the Levant, and finally ends upon a battlefield of northern England, he also tells the story of Harald's principal biographer--Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic chieftain and political leader who composed a history of the Kings of Norway as well as the best surviving guide to the poetry and mythology of medieval Scandinavia. Holloway treats his sources as respectfully as his subjects and provides a road-map for his readers to engage with sources from Iceland, Norway, England, Sicily, and Byzantium. While this is not an academic history, it is a conscientiously researched and well-written history for popular audiences.

Since King Harald was, before all else, a warrior, Holloway focuses a great deal more time on military engagements than he does on palace intrigue, although he does hint at Harald's desirability to powerful Byzantine women. Social history is comparatively absent, but Holloway does not pretend that he is going to offer it. As long as a reader is looking for political and military history, they will not be disappointed.

Holloway's book also demonstrates how faulty many popular ideas about the Middle Ages are. Holloway offers King Harald as a embodiment of the vast distances many medieval people, especially from Scandinavia, traveled and how engaged people from multiple cultural backgrounds were with one another. In the end, Holloway also explains clearly how, while King Harald failed to establish a transnational Empire, other Norsemen -- the Normans of France -- succeeded in building an empire with an enduring cultural impact.