Julian D. Richards Books

From shortly before AD 800 until the Norman Conquest, England was subject to raids from seafaring peoples from Scandinavia—the Vikings. However, they were not only raiders but also traders and settlers. Using the latest archaeological evidence, the author reassesses the Viking contribution to Late Anglo-Saxon England and examines the creation of the new mixed Anglo-Scandinavian identity.

The Viking reputation is of bloodthirsty seafaring warriors, yet they were also traders, settlers, and farmers, who have been variously perceived as poets, explorers, democrats, and statesmen. Julian Richards uses the latest archaeological evidence to reveal the whole Viking world, and examines their legacy - from medieval sagas to 19th Century nationalism.