Viking Sagas: The Captivating Tale of Ragnar Lothbrok, Ivar the Boneless, Lagertha, and More, in Their Historical Context (Scandinavian Mythology) Paperback – May 3, 2020

It was am enjoyable read. I like the brevity of the series and variety of topics I find interesting. Thank you!

An informative read about sagas of people in Viking history. Each were unique and also different in their own ways and similar in others. A lot of information in a short read.

The Vikings is the first book I have reviewed for Captivating History and captivating it surely was. I previously knew almost nothing about the Vikings other than what I saw in movies and on tv. Now that I have learned a bit about the Viking culture and myths I can go more deeply into the subject. I have just got my feet wet. This is a good introduction, not for scholars or advanced learners but perfect as a kick-off point.

Good read, easy to understand and navigate. It is for beginners to the genre but not very detailed so it left me searching for more.

You know, I've never been very into Norse history or mythology, but this was actually a really fun read. I learned a lot of things and have a new appreciation for the Vikings.

I received this book as an offer from Captivating History.com. I reviewed, because for me, Viking and Celtic mythology makes for some interesting reading. Add in the popular television series, “Vikings” and you’ve got a recipe for success.This is not your typical history book, although there are many citations to back up this author’s references. The style of writing is clear and concise, and easy to understand. There are detailed descriptions of Viking culture, many gleaned from recent archaeological evidence.I found the “shield maiden,” research to be most interesting. This female Viking, who lived and died around the year 900, was first excavated from a farm in Solør, Norway, in 1900. Recent discoveries reveal that she was a woman, overturning the centuries-old assumption that Viking warriors were only men.The author deciphers many of the myths surrounding the television series, “The Vikings.” There was a man named Ragnar in the ancient texts who could have been the character in the series. The series has done a decent job in my estimation of showing Viking culture. Even more interesting to me was how many of the Norse myths found their way into the show. Read the ancient myths included in the book. The Norse were superb storytellers.I also found the connection to a magic sword and the slaying of a dragon from the ancient Norse myths could have been the basis for the King Arthur myths. This is only my speculation and not collaborated with research. I think these older myths found their way into Celtic society repurposed to fit the needs of the time.As a poet, the information relating to the Norse and Icelandic Skalds, (poets) caught my attention. Skalds were the poets of the Vikings, and poetry and storytelling were the most-prized art forms in Norse culture. Poetry was a gift from Odin, the Allfather chief god of the Vikings, and just being a skald with the ability to speak in rhyme also was a way to distinguish themselves as having a connection to Odin.If you love Norse mythology and want to find out the factual truth behind the “Vikings” television series, this book will shed some light on the truth of the matter. It was a fabulous read!

The “Viking Sagas” is the first book I have reviewed for Captivating History after being provided a free copy for posting an honest review. It was, in fact, captivating, although it was much lighter reading than I had expected for a history book. I was very pleased with the simple, clear, explanations of Viking culture and some of their key sagas which the author correctly places in the gray area between myth and history. His treatment of the "Vikings" television series is spot on with the reasons I stopped watching after the first two shows were so far from what I knew of Vikings as an SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) member who spent decades as a Scottish friar in the Viking household of Sir Erika. These unembellished, well explained sagas and commentaries are much more than Cliff Notes but not as heavy and obtuse as reading the original sagas or more scholarly references given in the copious notes for each section. Do yourself a favor and read all the comments in the notes as they provide some of the depth I felt was missing in the main articles.

Great read with much insight to details that others overlook. It was interesting and thought provoking. Keep up the good work,making history come to life.