The Wolf Age: The Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea Empire
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- Author：Tore Skeie
- ISBN：1782278354
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Summary
The first major book on Vikings by a Scandinavian author to be published in English reframes the struggle for a North Sea empire and puts listeners in the mindset of Vikings， providing new insight into their goals， values， and what they chose to live and die for。 The Wolf Age takes listeners on a thrilling journey through the bloody shared history of England and Scandinavia， and on across early medieval Europe， from the wild Norwegian fjords to the wealthy cities of Muslim Andalusia。 Warfare， plotting， backstabbing， and bribery abound as Tore Skeie skillfully weaves sagas and skaldic poetry with breathless dramatization as he entertainingly brings the world of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons to vivid life。 In the eleventh century， the rulers of the lands surrounding the North Sea are all hungry for power。 To get power they need soldiers， to get soldiers they need silver， and to get silver there is no better way than war and plunder。 This vicious cycle draws all the lands of the north into a brutal struggle for supremacy and survival that will shatter kingdoms and forge an empire 。 。 。
Reviews
Sam
，
Superb translation of a great book - an appropriately saga-like journey through the end of the first millennium and the early 11th Century， it strikes just the right balance between filling the characters and places of the age with life and colour and remaining academically rooted in the small amount we actually know about this quite murky period of history。 It was refreshing to read about Anglo-Scandinavian England from a perspective that isn't England-centric。 Superb translation of a great book - an appropriately saga-like journey through the end of the first millennium and the early 11th Century， it strikes just the right balance between filling the characters and places of the age with life and colour and remaining academically rooted in the small amount we actually know about this quite murky period of history。 It was refreshing to read about Anglo-Scandinavian England from a perspective that isn't England-centric。 。。。more
Andrew Varga
，
What a fantastic book！ I wish all history was written so well。 The content covered the decline of Anglo-Saxon England under Aethelred to the rise of Cnut。 It covered the alliances they made， the battles they fought， and the people who were constantly shifting from one person's orbit to another。 However， what made it really interesting was that it parallelled all the actions going on in England with the other fighting and conflicts going on in Norway and Denmark， to give a holistic view of Northe What a fantastic book！ I wish all history was written so well。 The content covered the decline of Anglo-Saxon England under Aethelred to the rise of Cnut。 It covered the alliances they made， the battles they fought， and the people who were constantly shifting from one person's orbit to another。 However， what made it really interesting was that it parallelled all the actions going on in England with the other fighting and conflicts going on in Norway and Denmark， to give a holistic view of Northern Europe and what happened when a huge army of Danes came to England， leaving a power vacuum behind them in the north。I've read Anglo-Saxon history。 I've read Viking age history。 But this is the first book I've read that put them together to make a clear picture of this turbulent time period。 。。。more
Richard Derus
，
Real Rating: 4。5* of five， rounded upThe Publisher Says: Thrilling history provides a new perspective on the Viking-Anglo Saxon conflicts and brings the bloody period vividly to life， perfect for fans of Dan JonesThe first major book on Vikings by a Scandinavian author to be published in English， The Wolf Age reframes the struggle for a North Sea empire and puts readers in the mindset of Vikings， providing new insight into their goals， values， and what they chose to live and die for。Tore Skeie （ Real Rating: 4。5* of five， rounded upThe Publisher Says: Thrilling history provides a new perspective on the Viking-Anglo Saxon conflicts and brings the bloody period vividly to life， perfect for fans of Dan JonesThe first major book on Vikings by a Scandinavian author to be published in English， The Wolf Age reframes the struggle for a North Sea empire and puts readers in the mindset of Vikings， providing new insight into their goals， values， and what they chose to live and die for。Tore Skeie （"Norway's Most Important Young Historian"） takes readers on a thrilling journey through the bloody shared history of England and Scandinavia， and on across early medieval Europe， from the wild Norwegian fjords to the wealthy cities of Muslim Andalusia。Warfare， plotting， backstabbing and bribery abound as Skeie skillfully weaves sagas and skaldic poetry with breathless dramatization as he entertainingly brings the world of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons to vivid life。In the eleventh century， the rulers of the lands surrounding the North Sea are all hungry for power。 To get power they need soldiers， to get soldiers they need silver， and to get silver there is no better way than war and plunder。This vicious cycle draws all the lands of the north into a brutal struggle for supremacy and survival that will shatter kingdoms and forge an empire…I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+。 THANK YOU。My Review: This Norwegian historian's viewpoint on the rise and spread of the late-Viking-era North Sea empire。 The seeds of this immense stretch of territory coming under one ruler were set in the attacks of Harald Gormsson， King of Denmark， （whom we call "Bluetooth" and yes， he's the source of the name of the wireless connectivity protocol on your phone） on the rich and peaceful （therefore ripe for robbery） Anglo-Saxon Kingdom（s）。 His wars against the neighboring Saxon Kingdom along the Baltic Sea coast were costly， and even resulted in his loss of control over Norway; much money for rearming and hiring mercenaries was needed and， well， Anglaland ho！ Alas， his death came before he could finish a war of conquest in what is today a coastal region of Poland。Aethelred the Redeless， who fought Harald and Sweyn his whole life， on his coinageWe don't see all that much of Harald in English-language histories， but he was more than the raiding monarch seeking silver to pay for his wars。 He was also the one who introduced a centralized coinage for Denmark， guaranteeing its value would always be the same wherever one was paid in it。 And one means of assuring that？ Go get silver from someone else。 The English have lots！ And so it came to pass that the immensity of the North Sea became the middle ground between two halves of one empire。。。in fact， for a brief time， and in imagination for a longer one。Harald's son Sweyn （opponent of "Saint" Olaf Haraldsson for the title of King of Norway， who is pictured above）， after successfully rebelling against him， continued his father's efforts to unite the coasts of the North Sea under his family。 A period of uncertainty in his rule before his first reported raid on the murderers of his kinsfolk in their midst （the appalling St Brice's Day massacre！） beginning a long campaign of looting and terror against the English。 This campaign turned into occupation; the occupation turned into becoming the King of the English in 1013。 Leaving England in the hands of his second son， he hurried off to fight another war。。。and died before 1015。He was thus not as successful as was his own son， King Canute as he is known in English and Cnut the Great at home （his coin portrait is above）。 He ruled all three kingdoms， Norway from 1028， Denmark from 1018， and England from 1015， for twenty years and made a decent fist of it。 What happened， as happened to most all territorially great empires， was just the reality of physics。 In an era without motorized transport， the chances of maintaining control over a huge swath of territory are not great。 Cnut did not overcome the odds， dying in 1035 with England still barely under his control。 His descendants continued to cherish hopes of reacquiring England until Edward the Confessor died in 1066， when Harald Hardrada was killed with his army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge defending his， um， very （very） extended family's claim on the wealthy English realm。 This was the last gasp of the North Sea Empire as envisioned by Harald Gormsson a century before。The territorial drive of the father， son， and grandsons wasn't out of character; wasn't unusually violently for the era; and is ripe for reconsideration by English-language readers to account for our lamentable tendency to simply unsee the viewpoints of others on our shared histories。 This volume is the first translated， for the most part skilfully， into English。 I'd say the one concerning lacuna in this rendering into English of a popular history written in Norwegian is the use of colloquially still prevalent "Anglo-Saxon" in reference to the people， not the culture， of England from the 6th through 11th centuries。 It's established through the use of genomics that the people of England are still largely Britons。 It's a minor cavil in a work of popular history。More frustrating to me is the lack of maps in the DRC。 There are （see above） very nice black-and-white illustrations at the chapter opens but in my DRC， there weren't maps and， in any history text that discusses battles， that is a serious omission。 I am aware that there are indeed maps in your final copies， I hasten to say， but I haven't seen them and can't comment on their effectiveness at conveying information they're meant to。 I left off only a half-star in my rating， however， because that lack was both unique to the DRC and somewhat compensated for by the sheer pleasure of reading the skillfully translated text。 Alison McCullough deserves much praise。 While there is a sense of the original text's depth of scholarship， the primary affect of this book is one of absorbing， intelligent conversation overheard by the reader。。。not all the references or historical figures will stay in one's mind， available for instant recall， but even at lazier moments when I didn't feel like chasing a reference or an actor in the endnotes， or the "Overview of Persons" as this text charmingly calls the Dramatis Personae， I was carried along by what felt to me like very readable， accessible prose。 Enough explanation was offered to my non-specialist brain to enable me to move forward with a real sense of the ethos in which events transpired。Overall， the point of a book such as this。。。a lovely illustrated trade-paper edition of popular history about the pre-Norman Conquest world of England。。。is to please and intrigue the history buff on your gifting list。 （Or you， of course。） I feel confident that it will serve that purpose。Pushkin Press continues its streak of fascinating， unusual in the US， points of view presented in beautiful and pleasurable format。 。。。more
Joanna
，
4。5 stars。 Wow。 A history， time， and place I’ve never really understood and this book paints a vivid picture of it all。 Do not be phased by the list of figures to know at the beginning。 The author deftly hands off the narrative thread from one to the next so it’s never confusing （even if half of them are named Harald or Olaf or Earic）。 I’m glad I read this before Beowulf because the imagery and descriptions of medieval life make way more sense now。
Caroline Palmer
，
This is an amazing and informative book about several of the figures portrayed in Vikings: Valhalla。 Emma of Normandy features large as she should！
Jo-anne Atkinson
，
In a time when little actual history was written down， the exploits of the Norse have been handed down through skaldic poems and sagas。 Skeie blends known facts with details from the poems and produces a wonderful tale of the battles across Scandinavia， Europe and England for power and wealth。 The narrative is eminently readable and the betrayals and backstabbing are beyond belief but there is much about everyday life and politics in Anglo-Saxon lands as well as the Norse homelands。 Managing to In a time when little actual history was written down， the exploits of the Norse have been handed down through skaldic poems and sagas。 Skeie blends known facts with details from the poems and produces a wonderful tale of the battles across Scandinavia， Europe and England for power and wealth。 The narrative is eminently readable and the betrayals and backstabbing are beyond belief but there is much about everyday life and politics in Anglo-Saxon lands as well as the Norse homelands。 Managing to be both scholarly and populist， this is a great book。 。。。more
Brannigan
，
This review was originally published on NetGalley。com。 I was given an ebook freely by NetGalley and the book’s publisher in return for a voluntary and honest review。 The Wolf Age: The Vikings， the Anglo-Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea EmpireBy Tore SkeieTranslated by Alison McCulloughTore Skeie is a Scandinavian Medievalist。 As far as I can tell this is his first major English translation book。 The title tells you what you’re getting。 This history book deals with the High Middle Ages。 It This review was originally published on NetGalley。com。 I was given an ebook freely by NetGalley and the book’s publisher in return for a voluntary and honest review。 The Wolf Age: The Vikings， the Anglo-Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea EmpireBy Tore SkeieTranslated by Alison McCulloughTore Skeie is a Scandinavian Medievalist。 As far as I can tell this is his first major English translation book。 The title tells you what you’re getting。 This history book deals with the High Middle Ages。 It has a balanced view from both sides。 I loved the mixture of poetry， ballads in the informative text。 I read a lot of Medieval books in college and since and this was one of the funnest reads in a long time。 Very captivating and addictive。 I also have to praise Alison McCullough， her translation work was so good I would forget I was reading a translation。 If you are at all interested in this period of history or Vikings in general do yourself a favor and check this out。 。。。more
Sean
，
Not a deep dive， but was a quick and engaging read through the history of the Northern Empire（s） in the late 10th and early 11th century。
Simms
，
A very good history of the interplay between Norse and Anglo-Saxon political society in the era of Sweyn Forkbeard， Aethelred the Unready， and most of all Cnut the Great。 Perhaps a little niche -- to be interested in the book， you probably really have to care about that era of history， and especially the "dad history" side of things that's mainly battles and murders and political intrigue。 It's less concerned with the broader social changes that would have gone on in English society due to Danis A very good history of the interplay between Norse and Anglo-Saxon political society in the era of Sweyn Forkbeard， Aethelred the Unready， and most of all Cnut the Great。 Perhaps a little niche -- to be interested in the book， you probably really have to care about that era of history， and especially the "dad history" side of things that's mainly battles and murders and political intrigue。 It's less concerned with the broader social changes that would have gone on in English society due to Danish rule or how the common folk would have experienced the events described， although in fairness the Scandinavian influence in England long predated the time period covered and it would have been a much bigger book if Skeie attempted to cover all that。 If I had to pick a criticism， it's that the book ends rather abruptly after Cnut's death。 There's a bit of a denouement talking about the fate of the various constituent parts of the North Sea Empire， but for instance its discussion of England is basically two sentences saying it was split between his two sons， who later both died and then Edward the Confessor took the throne of a united England again。 After spending an exhaustive amount of time on Sweyn and Cnut， that felt very abbreviated， and I'm really jonesing to know how the dynamic played out between the two brothers and the transition back to the Anglo-Saxon dynasty。 The death of Cnut is a fine stopping point for a book on the North Sea Empire per se， but it would have also been very natural to extend the narrative on through to Harald Hardrada and Stamford Bridge， as the final chapter in the intertwined history of England and the Norse peoples。 Disappointed to not have that period also covered to the same excellent level of detail。Another thing， which I hope is simply a shortcoming of reading an e-ARC -- there are no maps！ Tore Skeie is Norwegian and the book was originally published in Norway， where his audience can be assumed to have a more natural familiarity with the geography discussed， but for an English translation it would be nice to have some maps for reference （as well as maps of contemporary England， for American or other overseas readers who don't have a great handle on where Mercia/East Anglia/Wessex/Northumbria/etc。 were）。 I'll have to get my hands on a physical copy when it's published to see if I need to edit this part out。Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC。 。。。more
Kirsty
，
A wonderful and extremely readable account of a period of history which I had almost entirely neglected previously！ It is well written， and fantastically translated， enabling even the most uninitiated reader to be quickly immersed and fascinated in a tumultuous and perilous period of history。The back and forth power struggles of the 'Vikings'， Anglo-saxons and various other figures across Scandinavia and Europe are brought to life in an informative but also enjoyable fashion。 There are so many c A wonderful and extremely readable account of a period of history which I had almost entirely neglected previously！ It is well written， and fantastically translated， enabling even the most uninitiated reader to be quickly immersed and fascinated in a tumultuous and perilous period of history。The back and forth power struggles of the 'Vikings'， Anglo-saxons and various other figures across Scandinavia and Europe are brought to life in an informative but also enjoyable fashion。 There are so many colourful figures populating this period of time， and it was very fascinating to get an overview of the ins and outs of various power struggles。 。。。more
Loki
，
An interesting look at the political maneuverings - the wars， alliances and betrayals - of the last century and a half of the Viking age。
Annarella
，
I read a number of historical fiction book set during the Anglo-Saxon reigns and Viking raids。I learned something about this historical time but this was a different take as this is a history book。It helped me to learn about the historical facts and it was as fascinating as a saga。HIghly recommended。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC， all opinions are mine
Nicki Markus
，
The Wolf Age was an excellent non-fiction read that was both informative and entertaining。 If， like me， you've read books about these peoples/this time period in the past， a good chunk of the information will already be familiar to you。 However， this work really focused in on a lot of detail and was presented in a very readable way， making it accessible to anyone and not limited to scholarly circles。 For those interested in reading on， there was a bibliography at the end。 I am giving this book 4 The Wolf Age was an excellent non-fiction read that was both informative and entertaining。 If， like me， you've read books about these peoples/this time period in the past， a good chunk of the information will already be familiar to you。 However， this work really focused in on a lot of detail and was presented in a very readable way， making it accessible to anyone and not limited to scholarly circles。 For those interested in reading on， there was a bibliography at the end。 I am giving this book 4。5 stars。I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Theo Logos
，
Canute the Great ruled one of medieval Europe’s largest， most powerful empires。 Despite this， good histories of Canute or his impressive empire are scarce。 The Wolf Age is an excellent history that both tells the tale of how this North Sea Empire came to be and why it did not last。 The Wolf Age is aptly named。 It chronicles the late Viking Age， a raw period when power accumulated only to him with the most swords， swords could only be had for for the cost of silver， and silver was gained only thr Canute the Great ruled one of medieval Europe’s largest， most powerful empires。 Despite this， good histories of Canute or his impressive empire are scarce。 The Wolf Age is an excellent history that both tells the tale of how this North Sea Empire came to be and why it did not last。 The Wolf Age is aptly named。 It chronicles the late Viking Age， a raw period when power accumulated only to him with the most swords， swords could only be had for for the cost of silver， and silver was gained only through pillaging raids。 Kingdoms and empires rose and fell on this brutally simple equation。 Tore Skeie’s history shows this math in action stretching across three generations。 He opens his history in the 10th century with the death of Edward the Peaceful in England， and the rise of Harald Bluetooth in Norway。 As Edward’s nickname implies， he ruled over a rare， peaceful period in Anglo-Saxon England。 His death， accompanied by an ill-portended comet， was soon followed by the first Viking raids on England in generations。 Edward left two young sons， the eldest of whom was soon murdered， bringing the younger brother， Ethelred， to England’s throne at the age of 12。 He would rule England for 38 years — the longest rule of any Anglo-Saxon king， and he would war with the son and grandson of Harald Bluetooth through the entirety of his reign。 The bulk of this history focuses on the running war between Ethelred and Sweyn Forkbeard， Harald Bluetooth’s son。 It lasted beyond both of their lifetimes and was continued by their sons， Edmund Ironsides and Canute （later called The Great）。 Other figures are key to the narrative as well， principally Olaf Haraldsson， a warrior King of Norway later transformed into an unlikely Christian saint。 Canute would eventually triumph， creating an empire that included all of England， Denmark， and Norway — a great North Sea power base that rivaled its contemporary Holy Roman Empire on the continent。 The history here related is gripping and well told。 The warrior kings and their machinations to gain and keep power are fascinating。 Beyond the main thrust of its narrative， this book reveals intriguing bits of history。 Ethelred was nicknamed “The Unready，” but that word didn’t carry its modern meaning then。 In Old English， it meant ill-advised， and was an apt pun of Ethelred’s Christian name， which meant well-advised。 A picture we have of Canute is probably a close likeness， as it was made in his lifetime and he viewed it， giving us a rare glimpse back a thousand years。 Small facts like these spice the greater tale， and amplify what an excellent history The Wolf Age is。 。。。more
Kyle Harrivel
，
This book covers the history of the Viking age between around 970 to 1030。 It’s written well and is informative enough to give the reader some good information， but I personally just wasn’t a fan of the authors writing style。 The book mostly reads like a list of dates and names and brief descriptions of multiple events in quick succession。 It’s hard to follow who is who as many of the names sound similar and you don’t get well connected with many of the people mentioned except for Olaf and Cnut。 This book covers the history of the Viking age between around 970 to 1030。 It’s written well and is informative enough to give the reader some good information， but I personally just wasn’t a fan of the authors writing style。 The book mostly reads like a list of dates and names and brief descriptions of multiple events in quick succession。 It’s hard to follow who is who as many of the names sound similar and you don’t get well connected with many of the people mentioned except for Olaf and Cnut。 Also for a book that mentions so many different locations around Europe， Denmark， Norway， and Britain， it has an extreme lack of maps。 Like none。 And the pictures in the book of artifacts among other things are not explained or put into context as far as I could tell。 If you would really like to learn more about this time in history I feel like their are better places to look than this book。 While not bad， it’s not great。 Really it’s the lack of maps and the way the author just list dates， names， and places quickly that ultimately put me off。 。。。more
Erwin
，
This was an excellent read！ Popular history about one of the lesser known periods （also the finale） of the Viking Age。 Great and hugely entertaining narrative。 It read as a thrilling novel。
Kristine
，
Fascinating and readable account of the shifting power between Vikings and Anglo-Saxons during the tenth and eleventh centuries。 Skeie does a commendable job piecing together a history from a period we have little record of， a time when mythic stories and first hand accounts blurred together。 Fans of tv’s Vikings and Last Kingdom will appreciate the real history behind some of their favorite characters。
Tim
，
I really enjoyed this narrative trip through a part of history I’d never been exposed to before。 My only minus is that， as someone who doesn’t have a great sense of Northern European geography， some select maps probably would have been helpful。
Matthew Burris
，
Very readable history。 The description doesn’t really tell that it’s more of a history/biography of （Saint） Olaf Haraldsson。
Towton1461
，
A gripping history of the Viking Kings who helped to shape England and Scandinavia as we know it today。 A page turner every bit as as thrilling as a bestselling work of fiction ……
Edward
，
A good history focusing on the Norwegian 'vikings'。 A good history focusing on the Norwegian 'vikings'。 。。。more
Otto Jacobsson
，
A bit too long and detailed， also didn’t really understand the obsession with king Olaf when ultimately he wasn’t that important as a historical figure - but more so in Norway and this is a Norwegian book after all。
Ivor Armistead
，
“The Wolf Age” is a marvelous account of the struggles for power in England and Scandinavia during the late 10th and early 11th centuries。 Most of the histories of late Anglo-Saxon England I’ve read were written by British authors who， perhaps naturally， condemn the “Viking” raids and invasions and lament the periods of Danish rule。 Tore Skeie， a Norwegian historian， takes a more balanced approach。 While， he does not glorify the Viking raiders or attempt to soften the brutality of their methods， “The Wolf Age” is a marvelous account of the struggles for power in England and Scandinavia during the late 10th and early 11th centuries。 Most of the histories of late Anglo-Saxon England I’ve read were written by British authors who， perhaps naturally， condemn the “Viking” raids and invasions and lament the periods of Danish rule。 Tore Skeie， a Norwegian historian， takes a more balanced approach。 While， he does not glorify the Viking raiders or attempt to soften the brutality of their methods， he puts them into a wider historic context。 Drawing on the numerous poems of the Skalds， poets employed by Scandinavian nobility to memorialize their exploits and achievements， Skeie is able to give us a more rounded account。Best of all， “The Wolf Age” is well written （and translated） history that moves with the pace of a good novel。 The lessons are timeless。 In the words of Olaf Haraldsson， Viking raider， 10th century King of Norway and rival of Cnut， King of the English and Danes， “Hunger for land and power leads to the deaths of men。” 。。。more
Ralph Britton
，
This is a brilliant insight into a lost age。 By using skaldic poetry as well as more obvious historical sources Tore Skeie gives us perhaps the best idea we will ever get of the wars for the north in the 1oth and 11th centuries - and also of the daily life of the time。 The book has been well translated and reads easily。
Karen Mace
，
Oh how I wish I could turn back the clock and tell the younger me who thought history was boring that it was anything but！！ This was a wonderfully absorbing look back at the extraordinary times of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons - Game of Thrones seems very tame compared to some of the tales of the goings on during the 10th and 11th centuries in this book！！The author has extensively researched the goings on of the time and presents it in such a fantastically relatable way that I couldn't put it dow Oh how I wish I could turn back the clock and tell the younger me who thought history was boring that it was anything but！！ This was a wonderfully absorbing look back at the extraordinary times of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons - Game of Thrones seems very tame compared to some of the tales of the goings on during the 10th and 11th centuries in this book！！The author has extensively researched the goings on of the time and presents it in such a fantastically relatable way that I couldn't put it down！ It reads just like a novel， and knowing these things happened just make it even more astounding！ There's a great overview of the characters involved， and the chronology of the events that unfolded and it was just utterly fascinating！The story ebbs from England to Scandinavia and Medieval Europe and the action never stops！ From feuding Kings to raiding Vikings， this is a brutal and political history showing the benefits of alliances and showing the treachery of others， all in the pursuit of power。 You can just picture the sight of the ships venturing in to the estuaries and coastal towns around England and there's also mention of the archeological finds relating to ships of the time and it has just made me so intrigued to find out more about the time 。It features some amazing characters， with amazing names such as Harald Bluetooth， Sweyn Forkbeard， Olaf， Cnut。。。 extraordinary names for extraordinary people！ Their quests are epic and often brutal。 There's also a look at the rituals of the time， and the ever changing religions and beliefs of the people of the time。 Life was brutal and the intensity of the raids and destruction was just shocking to read about。 A must read for all lovers of all things historical！！ 。。。more
Cameron Kelso
，