The Sea Wolves

A History of the Vikings

By: Lars Brownworth

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

In AD 793 Norse warriors struck the English isle of Lindisfarne and laid waste to it. Wave after wave of Norse "sea wolves" followed in search of plunder, land, or a glorious death in battle. Much of the British Isles fell before their swords, and the continental capitals of Paris and Aachen were sacked in turn. Turning east, they swept down the uncharted rivers of central Europe, captured Kiev, and clashed with mighty Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.

But there is more to the Viking story than brute force. They were makers of law - the term itself comes from an Old Norse word - and they introduced a novel form of trial by jury to England. They were also sophisticated merchants and explorers who settled Iceland, founded Dublin, and established a trading network that stretched from Baghdad to the coast of North America.

In The Sea Wolves, Lars Brownworth brings to life this extraordinary Norse world of epic poets, heroes, and travelers through the stories of the great Viking figures, including Leif the Lucky, Eric Bloodaxe, and Harald Hardrada. This riveting history illuminates the saga of the Viking age - a time that "has passed away, and grown dark under the cover of night."

©2014 Lars Brownworth (P)2015 Tantor

A little dry but very interesting

Once you get used to the tone of the narrator it's very good, but he is very dry. I just finished listening to the Greatest Courses audiobook The Vikings, and this book basically reiterated everything that was in that lecture but in a more story-like and less lecture-like fashion. I enjoyed both and this book had a lot of slightly different perspectives and a few more details that weren't in the Greatest Courses lecture that were interesting. Definitely recommend if you're into Viking history.

Excellent!

Brownworth's, "The Sea Wolves" is a well written, concise history of Viking exploits excellently orated.

History of Vikings role in Western Civilization

Good summary of Viking history and its role in the formation of Europe and the Byzantine Empire. Book ties back other major historical developments within England and the Byzantine Empire as well as Russia.

Great Viking book

The reader can be a little dry at times but this is a great book about vikings with lots of information

Excellent narrating.

Really enjoyed the clarity of the stories. Very compelling to keep listening. The book covers all the key vikings of their time.

A Great Historical Epic

The tale of Vikings and their culture as it developed. It is an audiobook worth listening to.

Absolutely amazing

As always, Lars conveys the history without the sacrifice of events and dates, but also in context of human lives and personalities, providing an incredibly captivating narrative. I listened to it more than once and never got bored. I’ve never experienced history being conveyed in such an interesting and relevant way, except by Lars.

Generic

The story is pretty generic, but does cover the major events of the Viking age. If you're looking for something easy and entertaining this is it. If you are looking for something more scholarly, look elsewhere. It is narrated by Joe Barrett, and although, I got used to it, his style is very distracting.

Very Nice Story....

I enjoyed the way that everything goes into the rest of European history. Now I need the actual book!

Lars Read Your Own Books

This was a great survey of Viking history without getting too bogged down in details that aren’t that important to the big picture. I loved this history. Well written. I actually seek out books read by Joe Barrett like Norco and Hunting the Jackal, but Lars should read his own stuff.