# Good historical novels set in Viking times **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794 "2008-04-10T19:52:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/1 "2008-04-10T19:52:48Z")
Can anyone recommend some good historical fiction (novels or short stories) set in Viking times? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/2 "2008-04-10T19:57:47Z")
Try [_The Hammer and the Cross,_](http://www.amazon.com/Hammer-Cross-Harry-Harrison/dp/0812523482) by Harry Harrison, and its two sequels, _One King’s Way_ and _King and Emperor._ ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/3 "2008-04-10T20:29:28Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Try [_The Hammer and the Cross,_](http://www.amazon.com/Hammer-Cross-Harry-Harrison/dp/0812523482) by Harry Harrison, and its two sequels, _One King’s Way_ and _King and Emperor._ [/QUOTE] I liked those very, very much. They are however “alternate history” and some may not think that would qualify. I recommend the Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell (he of the “Sharpe” series): [The Last Kingdom : Cornwell, Bernard: Amazon.ca: Books](http://www.amazon.ca/Last-Kingdom-Bernard-Cornwell/dp/0060887184/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207858947&sr=1-2) Another fun one is Odinn’s Child: [Viking 1: Odinn's Child: Severin, Tim: 9781405041126: Books - Amazon.ca](http://www.amazon.ca/Viking-Odinns-Child/dp/1405041129/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207859201&sr=1-1) ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/4 "2008-04-10T20:31:14Z")
Thanks for the prompt replies. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/5 "2008-04-10T20:35:43Z")
I’d be loathe to count this as real historical fiction, but Micheal Crichton’s “Eaters of the Dead” takes place in the Viking era, and is a darned good read. [http://www.amazon.com/Eaters-Dead-Michael-Crichton/dp/0060891564/ref=pd\_bbs\_sr\_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207859677&sr=8-1](http://www.amazon.com/Eaters-Dead-Michael-Crichton/dp/0060891564/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207859677&sr=8-1) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/6 "2008-04-10T20:57:08Z")
**Red Orm** by Franz G. Bengtsson was the basis for the motion picture **The Long Ships** , which starred the late Richard Widmark. > **[The Long Ships (1964) ⭐ 6.0 | Adventure, Drama](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057259/)** > > 2h 6m | Not Rated The book (my copy has been retitled **The Long Ships** to match the movie, and was released as a movie tie-in)is a good read, better than the book, but the movie is incredibly weird (Vikings sail to the Mediterranean and get involved in the search for a giant bell). The book covers much more than the movie, and has a believanble feel i its description of Viking life. Learn about portaging longships over Russian rivers! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/7 "2008-04-10T21:07:49Z")
There’s a lot on that book on Wikipedia: > **[The Long Ships](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Ships)** > > The Long Ships or Red Orm (original Swedish: Röde Orm meaning Red Orm, lit. Red Serpent or Red Snake) is an adventure novel by the Swedish writer Frans G. Bengtsson. > The narrative is set in the late 10th century and follows the adventures of the Viking Röde Orm - called "Red" for his hair and his temper, a native of Scania. The book portrays the political situation of Europe in the later Viking Age, Andalusia under Almansur, Denmark under Harald Bluetooth, followed by the struggle between Eric t... ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/8 "2008-04-10T21:40:43Z")
[QUOTE=Malthus] I recommend the Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell… [/QUOTE] Seconded. He’s currently four books into the series, which has his usual qualities of being immaculately researched, beautifully written and superbly readable. If you want to know what life was like as a Dane or a Saxon in 9th Century Britain under Alfred, these are the books to start with. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/9 "2008-04-10T23:05:25Z")
I second the **Bengtsson** and would also recommend [The Soul Thief](http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Thief-Cecelia-Holland/dp/0312869975/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207867551&sr=1-6) by **Cecelia Holland** ; it has a couple of sequels but I’ve not read them yet… (_Varanger_ was only out in hardback a couple of weeks ago) And I know **Janet Marillier** has a couple out - _Wolfskin_ and _Foxmask_. I have one of them on my shelves but I haven’t read it yet either… **Margaret Elphinstone** is very good - you might like [The Sea Road](http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Road-Novel-Margaret-Elphinstone/dp/1841950513/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207868505&sr=1-21). ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/10 "2008-04-10T23:13:53Z")
Lion of Ireland is about Brian Boru’s rise to the the High Kingship of Ireland by being the man most capable of resisting the marauding Northmen. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/11 "2008-04-11T00:19:28Z")
Third the Bengtsson - he knows how to tell a tale. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/12 "2008-04-11T04:17:12Z")
**Hrolf Kraki’s Saga** …I think it’s by Poul Anderson ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/13 "2008-04-11T04:29:49Z")
[Probably not this one.](http://www.raemonet.com/images/VikingsVow_cover4x6.jpg) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/14 "2008-04-11T13:00:42Z")
Edward Rutherfurd’s [_Sarum_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarum_%28novel%29) has a chapter about the Vikings invading Wessex/England during the reign of Alfred the Great. ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/15 "2008-04-11T14:50:05Z")
**Poul Anderson’s** short story _The Man Who Came Early_ is a great one, even though it involves a bit of time travel. ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-historical-novels-set-in-viking-times/444794/16 "2008-04-11T16:54:39Z")
You might like [The Thrall’s Tale](http://www.amazon.com/Thralls-Tale-Judith-Lindbergh/dp/B000FZDKQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207932738&sr=1-1). I’m only about half way into the book, but it’s good so far and seems to be well researched (but I’m not an expert or anything, so I don’t really know). It’s about Viking life in Greenland circa 985AD.