Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings

Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price is an innovative work on the life and times of the Vikings. Price tries to get inside the minds of these legendary raiders by using an interdisciplinary approach to look at them and their world as they might have seen it themselves.

They were warriors, but also farmers, explorers, traders, and families. Who were the Vikings when they were at home and how did they explain their world? Using the latest research in DNA as well as the sagas and poetic works to explain how the people of 750 to 1050 Scandinavia may have seen themselves and their world, Price captures a new perspective on the medieval Nordic consciousness.

It’s a truly stunning piece of work, and highly readable for something that could easily slip into dull academia. Price weaves a good story along with his scholarship, making even the driest parts of Viking life feel vivid and interesting. This is a “can’t miss” read for those obsessed with all things Viking. Hopefully the book will become a new landmark work in the genre.