A review by carterike
Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price

4.0

An engaging and at times surprising perspective of the Scandinavian “Vikings” from the views of contemporary archeology. Considering that our understanding of the Vikings primarily stems from the Poetic Edda and Christian orthodoxy, it is not surprising how often popular culture depictions of the Scandinavians is wrong. The connection between Ragnarök and volcanic events in the 6th century that lead to a long winter in Scandinavia was the most interesting theory presented in the book. As other reviews have noted, there are times where the author fills in gaps with biases and unsubstantiated claims. Still worth a read if you are remotely interested in the Viking Age.