The Vikings hold a particular place in the history of the West both symbolically & in the significant impact they had on Northern Europe Magnus Magnusson's indispensable study of this great period presents a rounded & fascinating picture of a people who in modern eyes would seem to embody striking contradictions They were undoubtedly pillagers raiders & terrifying warriors but they were also great pioneers artists & traders
- a dynamic people whose skill & daring in their exploration of the world has left an indelible impression a thousand years on