Reviewed by pamela on
I'm not sure if 'Vicious Vikings' was a particularly lacklustre installment, or if growing up and becoming an historian has affected my enjoyment of this series, but it just didn't have the fun I remember the series having as a child. I found some elements to be rather condescending to its younger readership, and it really lacked clarity as to whether it was covering British or Viking history at any given time. Most of the focus lacked 'history' and instead revolved mainly around folk tales and mythology, while its history seemed to focus mainly about the Viking incursions to Britain rather than actual Viking history with very little context. I know it's written for younger readers who haven't yet achieved the level of education that I have, but how can a child share a fun fact they've learned without a context in which to place it? It was written in a way, that if I'd read this particular book as a child I would have constantly just kept asking 'why'?
It's not all bad however. There were some fun facts, like the realisation that while the Vikings never directly conquered Britain permanently, they did conquer indirectly through the Norman William the Conqueror. It was also interesting to realise that the names we ascribe to historical Vikings are descriptors applied to them by later story tellers rather than what they would have been known as in their own circles.
'Vicious Vikings' was a fun distraction, but not really a great outline of Viking history. I read it in just over an hour and had fun, so I guess it achieved it's goal. I would however like to do more research and find out just how accurate it is...
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 4 April, 2015: Finished reading
- 4 April, 2015: Reviewed