A witty and concise look at the beginnings of English history, when the nation consolidated after clashes between the Saxons and invading Vikings.In 871, three of England’s four kingdoms were overrun by Vikings, the ruthless, all-conquering Scandinavian raiders who terrorized early medieval Europe. With the Norsemen murdering one king with arrows and torturing another to death by ripping out his … by ripping out his lungs, the prospects that faced the kingdom of Wessex were bleak. Worse still, the Saxons were now led by a young man barely out of his teens who was more interested in God than fighting. Yet within a decade Alfred—the only English king known as the Great—had driven the Vikings out of half of England, and his children and grandchildren would unite the country a few years later. This period, popular with fans of television shows such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom, saw the creation of England as a nation-state, with Alfred laying down the first national law code, establishing an education system and building cities.
Saxons vs. Vikings also covers the period before Alfred, including ancient Britain, the Roman occupation, and the Dark Ages, explaining important historical episodes such as Boudicca, King Arthur, and Beowulf.
Perfect for newcomers to the subject, this is the second title in the new A Very, Very Short History of England series. If you’re trying to understand England and its history in the most informative and entertaining way possible, this is the place to start.
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This was a very interesting approach to Alfred the Great and the Viking invasions of England.
6th grade level history. Far too general and not enough details (even just a few), so that it was boring.
Thought it was a novel.
Just couldn’t get into it
This book was a light, fun read on the anglo saxon and viking raids and settlement of England.
Readable history of the Vikings and Saxons after the fall of Rome.
Interesting book regarding England during this time period.
Very good historical overview
I have enjoyed histories of the distant past since I was much younger. These are my distant ancestors.
Boring, reading a telephone book would be more interested
History with a humorous edge. Fun companion to Bernard Cornwell’s Last Kingdom series about Alfred the Great.
For anyone who has never been in the UK and north, this is an astounding book showing how screwed up the European countries were for quite a while and until just a few years ago everyone was at war with everyone else. This book tells the story of how fragile and warlike the entire world was.
Light weight but fun.
Good summary of the complicated life in the Middle Ages
Many writers of history today chose to convey the facts and implications of their subject with humor, irony and sometimes sardonic critique. This author uses silliness and lazy timelines to convey very little. Not clever and not informative. Don’t waste your time. More nerve than intellect was used in this synthesis.
Who would imagine that a history of saxons and vikings in ancient Britain could be informative while being an enjoyable and humorous read!
Very informative and interesting.
Few history books are this much fun to read. Ed West is the teacher you always wanted for Western Civ. but got a boring one instead. Memorable.
Takes a very dry subject and makes you want to turn the page. I am a History, so this subject interests me to begin with. Author uses wit (albeit dry English humor) as asides to facts.
Worth the reading.
Supposed to be about Vikings. Went into a long dialogue about the complete British history. Too many side comments. First one or two were amusing then, just inappropriate. Quit reading at about 650 AD. Never did get to the Vikings.