Forgotten Vikings

Forgotten Vikings provides a chronological overview of the Viking Age (793-1066) and quite a lot of history either side of these arbitrary dates. Arbitrary? This book aims to explore the phenomenon of 'the Vikings' from new angles, forged out of recent academic breakthroughs largely unexplored in popular history books; the Viking Age viewed as a longer, discrete period from the sixth to the fifteenth centuries. Focusing on lesser-known aspects of the period, Alex Harvey taps into more obscure regions of the world these people visited, more obscure characters, and more obscure cultural elements. Examples include the evidence for viking activity on the Azores and Madeira, thirteenth-century Baltic raids, and the presence of viking armies in the Netherlands long before they became a threat to England. Offering unfamiliar perspectives, Forgotten Vikings will change the way you see these often misunderstood people, and unearth a forgotten history.

'Alex Harvey’s Forgotten Vikings take us on a millennium-long tour from a volcanic eruption in 536 that blotted the sun out with an ash cloud and may have ultimately prompted outward migration from Scandinavia to the discovery of the corpse of what tantalisingly could have been Greenland’s last Viking in 1540. He extends outwards our understanding of the Viking World in a lively exploration of some of its less well-known figures, like Harold Klak, a 9th century king of Denmark, or the anonymous Vikings, taken captive during an abortive raid in Spain who ended up as cheesemakers at an Arab emir’s court. Always seeking to grasp the Viking’s eye perspective of how they perceived the world, he amply fulfils his ambition to season the well-trodden narratives of Viking history with some truly engaging and fascinating byways.' -- Philip Parker, author of The Northmen's Fury
‘Forgotten Vikings is an impressive achievement. With imagination, vigour and passion for his subject, Harvey has produced a book that, like the Vikings themselves, is powerful and wide-ranging; sometimes strange, often surprising, it threatens to take you captive on the wildest of journeys.’ -- Thomas Williams, author of Viking Britain
‘Forgotten Vikings weaves together archaeology, history, and mythology to cut through the popular image of bloodthirsty pillagers and unveil them as farmers, settlers, traders, and travellers. This book is a terrific tour de force, a testament to Harvey’s meticulous research and engaging storytelling. It is informative and captivating, much like the tales told by the Old Norse storytellers themselves.’ -- Jim Leary, author of Footmarks
‘An invaluable addition to the wide corpus of Viking books out there … gets beyond the stereotypes and helps us look at the Vikings in a different, more nuanced light. I strongly recommend it.’ -- W. B. Bartlett, author of Vikings
'A fascinating and thought-provoking book that I'd strongly recommend to anyone with more than a passing interest in the Viking Age.' -- Undiscovered Scotland, 14th September 2024
'Well illustrated and engagingly written, this publication offers an accessible and thought-provoking look at the Vikings as we understand them today.' -- Current Archaeology Magazine, November 2024
'Forgotten Vikings is an enlightening read that goes down smoothly. The inclusion of illustrations throughout from Harvey himself also gives the book a very personal feel. He gets into the archaeological evidence to draw out the provable facts and debunk the common myths. This book is well worth diving into if you want to expand your Viking knowledge.' -- All About History Magazine, December 2024

Alex Harvey is a postgraduate history student at the University of York with a focus on Scandinavian York. He has written for numerous journals and has presented research for York Archaeological Trust, Lancaster Historical Postgraduate Conference, and Leeds International Medieval Congress. Through a desire to disseminate complex academic theory and developments into an engaging and entertaining format, Alex is always writing scripts for talks, manuscripts for books, and outlines for future projects, ever-busy. Forgotten Vikings is his second contribution and first large nationally-published book, developed following eight years of study and two dissertations in-and-out of the University of York’s Archaeology Department.

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