Vikings: A History

Who were the Vikings and what drove them to embark on such extraordinary voyages of discovery over a thousand years ago? Historian Neil Oliver goes on the trail of the real Vikings, drawing on the latest archaeological and scientific discoveries to reveal the epic story of one of history's greatest empires of conquest.

The Vikings famously took no prisoners and prided themselves on their skills as warriors. But their prowess in battle is only a small part of their amazing story. With a territory stretching from Iceland in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south, from Newfoundland in the west to Constantinople and the Caspian Sea in the east, they were warriors and mercenaries of international renown; they were colonisers, builders and engineers. The way modern Europe looks and sounds today is due, in no small part, to the vikings who turned their backs on their homelands and set sail for distant horizons.