The Vikings

Mawer, A. (Allen), 1879-1942Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 212K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Vikings by A. MawerAuthor: Mawer, A. (Allen), 1879-1942,Language: English, Class: DL: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Release Date: Sep 21, 2016

Editor's review

This book is a general history of the Vikings by the British scholar Allen Mawer, one of the earlier systematic popular surveys of Nordic history. Taking Viking migration, seafaring, and settlement as its main thread, it sets out the geographical and historical background of their activities in Scandinavia and overseas; the language is plain and the narrative clear, making it suitable as an introductory work for understanding the basic outlines of the Viking Age. As a free public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg, it allows readers to obtain the English original at no cost and to read it alongside maps and chronological tables. Its value lies in offering the overall narrative framework of early twentieth-century scholarship on the Vikings, and it can serve as a reference starting point for further reading in modern Viking studies. Readers should note that the book was written long ago and that some views and interpretations of sources may since have been revised by later research; reading it alongside more recent general histories or archaeological findings is recommended for a fuller understanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General English-language readers interested in Nordic history and the Viking Age
Students who need free English historical sources for background reading
History enthusiasts who want to understand the early narrative framework of Viking history
Readers with reasonable English reading ability who prefer general-history works

Not a good fit for

Specialist researchers seeking the latest archaeological and scholarly conclusions
Beginners who find English difficult and need a Chinese translation
Readers expecting detailed accounts of battles and biographical narratives

Reading tips

Begin by browsing the table of contents and chronological table to establish a temporal and geographical framework for Viking activity before reading the main text.
Keep a map of Scandinavia and the British Isles at hand, marking the routes and settlements mentioned in the book as you read.
Take notes on the book's earlier views and, after finishing, check the differences against modern works on Viking history.
Use it as English reading practice in history: read one chapter at a time and retell its main points.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in Viking history?

Yes. The book is a general historical narrative with a clear thread and plain language, and can serve as an introductory work. But it was written long ago, and some views need to be checked against modern research; beginners would do best to have a more recent general survey of Viking history on hand for reference.

Is this book in Chinese or English? How difficult is it to read?

This is the original English edition, a public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg. The language is early twentieth-century academic popular English; it is not especially difficult overall, but it contains many place names and personal names, so readers with intermediate English reading ability will find it relatively easy to take up.

Are the book's views outdated by today's standards?

The book was written in the first half of the twentieth century, and its narrative framework and some interpretations of sources may have been revised by later archaeological and historical research. It is better suited as a reference for understanding early Viking scholarship than as the latest conclusion; reading it alongside modern works is recommended.

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About the author

Mawer, A. (Allen), 1879-1942 Author · British · 1879–1942

Allen Mawer (A. Mawer, 1879–1942) was a British linguist known for his work in English place-name studies. He devoted himself to the examination of place names, focusing on their connections with language, history, and geography, and his findings provided an important foundation for the establishment and development of English onomastics. The Problems of English Place-Names embodies his research interests and methodological approach in this field. He also wrote The Vikings, extending his scope to Norse history and Viking culture and showing a sustained concern with the intersection of language and history. Public information about him is limited, and few details of his life are recorded, yet his surviving works reveal solid scholarship and clear exposition, with attention to reconstructing historical contexts from linguistic evidence; his influence on later English place-name research endures.