Why read Saxons vs. Vikings?

Book cover of Saxons vs. Vikings: Alfred the Great and England in the Dark Ages

Book description

A witty and concise look at the beginnings of English history, when the nation consolidated after clashes between the Saxons and invading Vikings--now in paperback!

In 871, three of England's four kingdoms were overrun by Vikings, the ruthless, all-conquering Scandinavian raiders who terrorised early medieval Europe. With the Norsemen murdering…

Explore

Topics

Genres

European history

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Saxons vs. Vikings as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Steven A. McKay

Author

I’ve read a ton of non-fiction books over the past 18 months or so, as I’m writing a series about Alfred the Great. Most have been well-written and fairly easy reads, but some have been little more than textbooks.

It can get a little draining so, when I started listening to Saxons vs Vikings I was very pleasantly surprised. It’s non-fiction, yes, and there’s plenty to learn from it, but the author writes in a light, humorous way which felt like a breath of fresh air and had me grinning on multiple occasions as I listened to the audiobook. A…

From Steven's 3 favorite reads in 2023.