Across the seas and river systems of northern Europe, Scandinavian warriors turned mobility into military power. Their expeditions grew from swift coastal raids into armies capable of conquest and royal rule.
The Viking Armies, c. 793?1066 traces this remarkable transformation through the forces, weapons, ships and strategic choices that shaped the Viking Age. Kieran Goodwin takes readers from Lindisfarne and the earliest raids to the Great Army's sustained campaigns, Scandinavian kingship and the final invasion of 1066.
Inside, discover:
- Warriors and command: how chieftains gathered followers, maintained loyalty and financed campaigns through silver, plunder and tribute.
- Weapons and battle: how spears, axes, swords, shields and armour influenced Viking fighting, and what the evidence reveals about shield-wall tactics.
- Ships and logistics: how longships, river routes, winter camps and supply arrangements allowed armies to strike far beyond Scandinavia.
- Conquest and royal power: how the Great Army, regional campaigns in England, Ireland and Francia, and the ambitions of Cnut and Harald Hardrada transformed warfare.
Drawing on chronicles, archaeology and surviving military objects, this volume reveals the human and practical realities behind Viking success. You will gain a connected understanding of how Viking armies were raised, how they fought and how they changed?and see the military history of the Viking Age with greater clarity.
