River Kings

A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads

By: Cat Jarman

Narrated by: Christine Rendel

An acclaimed bioarcheologist, Catrine Jarman has used cutting-edge forensic techniques to spark her investigation into the history of the Vikings who came to rest in British soil. By examining teeth that are now over one thousand years old, she can determine childhood diet—and thereby where a person was likely born. With radiocarbon dating, she can ascertain a death-date down to the range of a few years. And her research offers enlightening new visions of the roles of women and children in Viking culture.

Three years ago, a Carnelian bead came into her temporary possession. River Kings sees her trace the path of this ancient piece of jewelry back to eighth-century Baghdad and India, discovering along the way that the Vikings' route was far more varied than we might think—that with them came people from the Middle East, not just Scandinavia, and that the reason for this unexpected integration between the Eastern and Western worlds may well have been a slave trade running through the Silk Road, all the way to Britain.

Told as a riveting history of the Vikings and the methods we use to understand them, this is a major reassessment of the fierce, often-mythologized voyagers of the North—and of the global medieval world as we know it.

©2022 Cat Jarman (P)2022 Tantor

Incredible!

Great work written by actual researcher in the field. Does a phenomenal job of creating a compelling narrative from material archeology.

Little too long

Mayb because I know so much about it already, seemed like only info new to me, so that it moved along quickly, was info after Rus went past Constantinople.

Very interesting story

Excellent story, well narrated and written. Did the vikings ever go to nothern Africa? That would an interesting follow up this book.

Rivers Kings

Excellent work reflecting an unknown and long neglected subject, sure to raise interest in a facinating subject!

Great except for slow reader

Very interesting world-historical perspective on the usually cartoonized Vikings.
I am sure that readers are being coached to slow their delivery, but the effect on me is to feel patronized and impatient.

Great mix of Viking history and new technology

Great book on the connections happening during the Viking age. Nicely incorporates narrative on the origins of a single bead to explain the complex history. Through the book, she explains new DNA technologies that are leading scientists to rethink the traditional telling of the Vikings.

Love this book and narration!

I am fascinated by the Vikings in general and have watched several popular video series about them. Imagine my delight to hear Christine Rendel's stellar narration of this fascinating book describing the scientific evidence. I was intrigued to learn of the links between the Vikings and the Silk Road. I so enjoy someone who can connect the dots of history and back it up with science. Nice work Cat Jarman.

Christine Rendel's narration made it vivid and brought it to life. I highly recommend this audio book!

Like school

The narrator does her best with the material, but overall this is an absolute slog

interesting story

history history weaves a thread of a Viking spread across Eastern Europe and into Asia