Just Finished Reading: The Sage of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue by Anon [52pp] 

Dreams cannot easily (or safely) be ignored. So, when Thorstein Egilsson dreamt of two great eagles fighting to the death on top of his house, he sought advice from the local wiseman. The inference was clear. Thorstein’s wife was about to give birth, and she would produce a daughter of surpassing beauty who men would fight and die over. To avoid such a fate Thorstein instructed his wife to leave a daughter exposed to the elements and the wolves but to keep a son. This she promised to do... but fate is a trickster and a mother's love is not to be trifled with.....  

I’ve come across the Nordic saga’s many times over the years but have never actually read any of them – even extracts such as this. That might change after enjoying this slim booklet. I think the first thing that struck me was how similar to Greek myths they are (and not wholly based on the fact that I’m presently reading a book steeped in Greek mythology. The idea of Fate and the fact that it cannot be avoided – except is VERY exceptional circumstances – is central to both ‘belief systems’. Even the Gods themselves must bend before the Fates, so mere mortals have little chance as this tale shows. As usual the very fact of trying to avoid a fated outcome brings it about. “Fate, it seems, it not without a sense of irony”.  

The other thing I noticed/liked was the scattering of insights into the Nordic/Anglo-Saxon civilisations of the time as various characters (most especially the eponymous Gunnlaug) travelled around the North Sea with visits to Norway and England as well as travels within Iceland where the sage is based. Although the tale itself was only written down around 1270-1300 the action takes place around 990-1010 which I’m moderately familiar with reading around the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Invasion. My background reading made the customs and some of the main characters – Kings mostly – readily understandable. If you’re interested in the period and ever wondered about the Saga’s - and even wondered if you might want to read a complete one – this is definitely an entry port for you. Recommended.  

Translated from the Icelandic/Old Norse by Katrina C Attwood

Just Finished Reading: The Norman Conquest – William the Conqueror’s Subjugation of England by Teresa Cole (FP: 2016) [260pp] 

Most books on this pivotal moment in English and European history start a few years before the main event in 1066. They point out that Edward the Confessor had failed to produce an heir and that Harold Godwinson was elected to follow in his footsteps. There is often much debate as to exactly how Harold managed to be in a position to gain the throne of England – especially as it was supposed to have been promised to William, Duke of Normandy – but that’s usually the background given followed by invasion (in both the North and South), battle, defeat (or victory depending on how you look at it) and take-over. 

Interestingly, and highly informatively, this author starts by looking MUCH further back starting with Edward gaining the English throne in 1003 giving us a 60+ year run up to the cataclysm that befell the Anglo-Saxons at Hastings. This allows for a much better, much deeper, understanding as to how England ended up in the position of facing two invasions only days apart and why exactly Harold’s position was challenged so early in his reign. To be quite honest, even with my belief that I’m reasonably familiar with the era and the events covered here, not only did I learn quite a bit, but my UNDERSTANDING of things is so much better now. What made things even better, if that’s possible, was that the authors writing style and her obvious grasp of the subject was outstanding. The six-decade run-up to Hastings and the requirement of the conquering army to constantly reassert its dominance over a fractious people seemed straight out of Game of Thrones (but very much in a good way) with political manoeuvring, rather useful ‘accidents’ (it's amazing how many important people died “falling from a horse” or soon after a hearty meal/drinking session much to the immediate advantage of one group or another) [Side note: is ‘falling from a horse’ the periods equivalent of ‘falling out of a window’ or ‘shot whilst trying to escape’ that we’re more familiar with these days?] 

But let me put any false impressions in their place – this is gripping without being sensationalist. The author examines what happened, what was said to have happened (and the reasons why it happened) with a sceptical eye – after all, as we know, history tends to be written by the victors (in this case the Normans) and any pronouncements by them need to be taken with that in mind. She looks at each story, legacy or legend in turn – from the ‘arrow in the eye’ to Harold’s pledge of fealty prior to Edwards death – and critically examines each in turn, looks at the evidence (if ANY) and either decides – all too often on the balance of probabilities – which is more likely to be true. With the passing of 960 years its understandably difficult to be almost any definitive statements about the events discussed between these pages but, I think, the author makes an excellent stab at it. She didn’t let any speculation go too far but she also didn’t leave too much hanging in the air as inexplicable either. Any speculations she did make she backed up with a knowledge of how things worked – differently in Norman and Anglo-Saxon societies – plus a heavy dose of rationally informed scepticism. 

1066 and the surrounding events constantly fascinate me for understandable reasons. The Battle of Hastings that year changed the direction and fate of a whole nation. Was it for the ‘better’? That’s arguable but it would be interesting to know, rather than idly speculate, how an Anglo-Saxon nation, rather than an Anglo-Norman one, would have made its way in the world and how the present might have been different because of that. As you might be able to tell, I really enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to reading more by its author. There’s more coming on 1066 too. Very much recommended and a highlight of the year so far.   

Just Finished Reading: The Origins of the Anglo-Saxons – Decoding the Ancestry of the English by Jean Manco (FP: 2018) [206pp] 

After reading the author’s previous book on the Celts around 2 years ago I thought it was about time to read her book about the Anglo-Saxons (despite not being one). As with the Celts this is a DEEP dive into the origins, culture, genetics and movements of a whole people so is very much a foundation – broad and deep – to any investigation of personal ancestry. I wasn’t expecting it to be particularly illuminating from my perspective but this didn’t stop it being always interesting and often fascinating. 

As I’ve said before, people (indeed peoples) moved around far more in the past than we moderns give them credit for. The Anglo-Saxons – generally made up of Angles, Saxons and Jutes – are a case in point moving across eastern Europe/central Asia westwards and northwards into western Europe, the British Isles and Scandanavia. Most of this slim volume covers that particular part of their history with diversions into archaeology, grave styles, coinage and, my particular favourite, languages and how they changed over LONG periods of time. Only the last quarter or so of the book looks at the impact on England putting to rest, yet again, the idea that the British Isles was ‘invaded’ and conquered by the Saxons and that the local population was displaced. Interesting this erroneous idea seems to have origination after the end of WW2 when the Saxons (AKA Germans) where not exactly in high standing in the UK. However, archaeological and, later, DNA evidence has shown the invasion motif to be overplayed at best. Apparently, which I found MOST interesting, around 36% of Brits living in the South East of England have Saxon genes and some individuals in Kent are essentially indistinguishable from native Germans (much, apparently, to their surprise and annoyance!). But the native population didn’t vanish (AKA killed). Nothing like it. The so-called ‘invasion’ actually took place over 2-300 years and varied from the hiring of mercenary soldiers who decided to stay – whether their ‘masters’ liked it or not – to actual raiders who stayed long term, and individual family groups looking for a better life and more productive farmland. 

Overall, this was interesting read that helped put present day genetics, place names and much else into a (DEEP) historical context. Although it didn’t help me very much to understand my own ancestry (of which more later) it did help me bed in the genetic foundations my ancestors were part of. Definitely of interest to anyone looking deep into their Anglo-Saxon past. Recommended.  

Just Finished Reading: The Little Book of Hygge – The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking (FP: 2016) [285pp] 

To be honest, as I usually am, I picked this up because it looked just so damned cute! The actual contents, text and photographs, came second. Thankfully they were both very good indeed. 

I’ve long been interested in different ideas of well-being from around the world and across time, so this looked like an idea light read. The Danes regularly score highly as the happiest people on Earth. Indeed, they get a little miffed (though not for long I imagine) when they periodically and very temporarily get knocked off the top slot. This being the case there’s little surprise that the Happiness Research Institute (who published this book) is based in Copenhagen. The question of WHY the Danes are just so damned happy is what the author attempts to answer. 

A huge part of that answer is, apparently, the concept of Hygge – pronounced hoo-ga which can be VERY roughly translated as ‘cosiness’. Imagine standing in your home (or the home of a dear friend) looking out the window as a snow storm is passing, dressed in a warm, cozy thick jumper, cup of hot chocolate, tea or coffee in hand, with a log fire burning and the sound of friends laughing behind you as they prepare food together, calling over to you to finish the pie everyone wants to taste – oh, and the room has numerous candles burning and there’s soft music playing, something classical or light jazz... That’s Hygge. 

Heavily illustrated throughout, with some quite excellent photographs scattered through the book, the book contains ideas for hygge events, food (complete with recipes), drinks (ditto), home decor ideas, places to visit (mostly in Copenhagen), places to eat (ditto) and a special chapter on a hygge Christmas. Well written (I found myself smiling throughout the entire read) and lavishly illustrated (I was most impressed as you might be able to tell!) this was a delightful read from cover to cover. Cute in itself as an object and full of good ideas. Highly recommended.      

Just Finished Reading: Iceland Defrosted by Edward Hancox (FP: 2013) [279pp] 

It was an obsession, freely admitted. Iceland, the landscape, the people, the food and especially the music fascinated him beyond anything else. Travelling to, and around, the country at every opportunity mostly alone, sometimes with local friends, sometimes with his wife and, more recently, with their new born the author made new friends, experienced the strangeness of the land (and more often than not the people too!), stayed in small hotels or bed & breakfast places – complete with interesting, often delicious, food – enjoyed concerts and other concert goers, and generally had a LOT of fun. 

Almost any way you look at it, Iceland is a pretty amazing place. The scenery alone, seen in various Lord of the Rings movies as well as more than a few others over the years, would make it a holiday destination for anyone jaded by the regular destinations we’ve all heard so much about (and often been too far too often). But it has SO much more going for it than awesome lava fields, active volcanoes (as the world, and especially western Europe has found out to its inconvenience more than once) and world class waterfalls. One thing I can definitely agree with is the music. I’ve been a BIG fan of Bjork for a long time and love her vocal style. After hearing her as a solo artist I starting picking up her earlier work with the Sugarcubes and even have a jazz album by her – in Icelandic! - which is probably the strangest CD I own (at the moment). As a sometimes music journalist, the author kindly lists some of his favourite bands/singers in the back and I’m working my way through them (on YouTube) to see if I like them. Throughout the book as he travels around the country, he also interviews many of the singers he’s long admired from a distance, which is pretty cool. 

As a veggie (coming up to 25 years now) I’ll have to take the authors word on the superb fish meals he had and wrote about with great gusto. One thing I was intrigued by though was Icelandic yoghurt – specifically Skyr yoghurt. He enthused over it more than once and lamented (while in New York of all places whilst enjoying a pot there) that it was a great pity that it wasn’t on sale in the UK. Now this book was published in 2013 so, I thought, I wonder if things had changed. I’m delighted to say that it has and picked up a BIG tub of Skyr strawberry yoghurt from my local big supermarket. It’s YUMMY and deserves the praise the author heaped on it. It is fast becoming a staple part of my weekly diet. 

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book. Not only is it simply a fun read in itself but the authors love of that island shines through in the prose. Iceland is a fascinating (if rather expensive!) place with a seriously unique history and culture – and I don’t just mean the yoghurt. If you’re thinking of trying it out as a potential holiday destination you could do a lot worse than reading this excellent travelogue first. Recommended.

Just Finished Reading: Hunt the Altmark by Richard Wiggan (FP: 1982) [159pp] 

With war approaching, Germany knew that an effective way to degrade Britain’s ability to fight would be the disruption of its global trade network. They intended to do this by using commerce raiders – heavy cruisers and ‘pocket’ battleships – operating independently on the world's oceans sinking merchant ships and avoiding contact with the Royal navy were possible. One such raider was the Admiral Graff Spee which was dispatched in the weeks before war was declared. In support was the armed fast cargo ship Altmark which carried everything Graf Spee needed to continue her mission on the high seas. 

Initially all went well, and the Graf Spee succeeded in sinking a number of British merchant ships. But what to do with their crews? In those early days, with the old fashioned ‘Rules of the Sea’ still applying the Graff Spee couldn’t simply sink the merchant ships from range and leave the crews to their fate. So, time was given for the crews to abandon ship and they were taken onboard the battleship until they could be deposited on the Altmark and take up (hopefully temporary) residence in the emptying cargo holds. So far, so good. Until that is the Graf Spee was cornered by the Royal navy and its captain scuttled her rather than have her taken. For the Altmark this presented a problem: What was she to do now? The only logical thing, it seemed to Altmark’s captain, was to sail back to Germany, off-load the prisoners, and be assigned to another commerce raider. But how to get back undetected? 

There were only a few ways to get back to German territory and back Altmark and the British hunting her knew this. Finally, Altmark decided that the best course would be via still neutral Norway. She almost made it, except that the Admiralty in London had been alerted to her presence in Norwegian waters and plans were made to intercept her. But there was a problem – Norwegian neutrality meant that British warships could not enter her territorial waters without permission and certainly couldn’t operate there against her German enemies. There was really only one answer to that conundrum – the Royal navy would do it anyway and to hell with the diplomatic consequences! The ‘Altmark incident’ certainly soured relations between Norway and Great Britain and quite possibly increased the pressure on the German forces to take Norway before the British decide to. Certainly, the taking of Norwegian ports was being considered and mines were already being dropped in Norway's coastal areas to force German shipping into areas where the Royal navy could engage them. But the subsequent German lightening invasion of Norway put both the British and Norwegians on the same page. They would fight together. 

I knew a little about the Altmark incident going into this, but it was good finding out so much more here. About the only criticism I had was that the book was rather ‘thin’ and not just the page count. I would’ve liked to see more emphasis on what the Royal navy was doing to find the Altmark, what the Kreigsmarine was doing to get her back, some more background about the commerce raider programme and, finally, more background to the Norwegian diplomatic difficulties surrounding the incident. But saying that, this was still pretty informative and managed to fill in a small gap in my early war knowledge. Reasonable.  

Oh, I almost forgot... The Royal navy ship that released the merchant crews was HMS Cossack - the same destroyer that took part in the attack on Narvik and was later in at the kill of Bismarck. No wonder I built a model of her in my youth. BUSY little ship!  

Well said!!

Just Finished Reading: How Iceland Changed the World – The Big History of a Small Island by Egill Bjarnason (FP: 2021) [264pp] 

When asked about the most important or influential countries in history, few would add Iceland to their list and, before reading this book, I’d be among them. But rather surprisingly that remote island has been involved, indeed at the centre of things, surprisingly often since its founding 1200 years ago. It was Vikings sailing from Iceland that discovered both Greenland and who were the first Europeans to land in North America, it was Icelandic Saga writers who preserved early history and tales that were lost elsewhere in Europe with the coming of Christianity, it was volcanic venting in the 18th century that triggered a global climate crisis that prompted regime change, famine, and scientific investigation leading to new ways of thinking about the world, it was Allied occupation (against the wishes of the population themselves) that arguably led to the containment of what remained of the German High Seas Fleet after their disastrous campaign in Norway and the subsequent security of Atlantic convoys, it was the Icelandic ambassador to the UN who was instrumental in the foundation of the State of Israel, it was Iceland that was picked to represent the Moon and be the location where Neil Armstrong and other astronauts trained for future landings, it was Iceland that hosted the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world and help reduce tensions towards the end of the Cold War and hasten the collapse of the Soviet Union, and on... 

This was SUCH a fun read! Not only did I learn a LOT of Icelandic history, which I was very much ignorant of, but it was told in such a way that I was smiling, chuckling or outright laughing throughout. The author had a wonderful touch and wove a great story tying events and personalities together to bring out both the very human story and the world spanning consequences that unfolded. I’ve heard different interpretations of the ‘Vikings in America’ story – did it really happen? - and was pleased to read more background on the story. I was also very intrigued to read about Iceland in WW2 where the British essentially showed up in warships and took ‘ownership’ of its ports so that the Germans couldn’t do it later. The funniest bit was where the senior British officer arrived at the home of a senior German on a ‘fact finding mission’ to arrest him and his staff. “You can’t do this”, the German said. “This is a neutral country”. “What”, the British officer said, “Like Denmark”. I didn’t realise that Armstrong and his crew had practiced on Icelandic territory but can see why as some of it is often described as like a lunar landscape. That definitely makes sense! 

Overall, this was a fascinating read and I really enjoyed it. I’ll be reading more about the larger Scandinavian world next year – specifically Norway, Denmark and Finland – and it’ll be nice to get a rounder picture of the whole region/culture. Definitely of interest for anyone looking for something a bit different or those who have ever wondered about the island itself.   

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Just Finished Reading: Narvik by Donald Macintyre (FP: 1959)

Spring, 1940. With the Second World War still in its earliest stages and the rush to get ready for the anticipated German onslaught in the West in full swing, a plan is devised to prevent the enemy taking control of Norway. This, it was believed, would deny her vast natural resources to the Germans and provide a launch pad into the Baltic and later Germany itself. With both time and resources in short supply it was decided to land troops along the Norwegian coast and garrison them there to prevent any similar action by the Axis. The fact that Norway was, at that point, a Neutral country bothered the British government hardly at all. As soon as Norway saw which way the wind was blowing, it was assumed, they would welcome the British as allies rather than invaders. But the British Navy’s breech of Norway’s territorial waters and her neutrality was hardly underway when the expected hammer fell with a detailed and co-ordinated invasion of Norway’s major ports and installations. Because of poor intelligence, confused chain of command and political vacillation an opportunity had been missed. Now the question was: What to do about it?

Essentially there was only two clear options: Withdrawal or Attack. Both had potentially dire consequences. The Norwegian armed forces, despite their willingness to fight the invader, had long neglected its military and was clearly unable to hold out for long. The idea that Britain could occupy and defend another country when it could barely defend itself was dangerously naïve but the Norwegians could not be simply abandoned to their fate. So, attack it was. A force of destroyers were sent to the vital port of Narvik – their mission to prevent any further troop landings and to secure the port for the Allies. Heading into the narrow confines of the Norwegian fjords with little opportunity to manoeuvre and without full knowledge of enemy numbers or disposition the operation was fraught with danger especially as detailed maps of the area were simply not available and running aground was a real possibility. But at least enemy numbers were expected to be low and resistance light. Those expectations however, as these things usually are, were wrong. Dead wrong.

For one thing the enemy knew they were coming. Radio intercepts had alerted German naval units that a substantial British presence was in the area. Knowing they were likely outnumbered the four German destroyers, one already severally damaged by Norwegian forces, lay in ambush waiting for the British attack. They did not have to wait long and the Royal navy attacked at dawn out of the mist and into one of the most famous engagements in its history. Outnumbered and outgunned the Germans attacked with vigour and daring. But to no avail. In short order the four destroyers of the German fleet were either sunk or sinking with heavy loss of life whilst the six British ships sustained comparatively light damage. Within hours the port of Narvik was clear of enemy ships and the troops already landed isolated and low on supplies. If a counter landing was arranged immediately there was a real possibility that Narvik could be taken with few losses. If. But returning to the fleet in triumph the victorious destroyers ran into the German relief force. Heavily outgunned themselves this time and fighting for their lives between narrow mountains of towering rock and snow a sustained fire-fight broke out. Two ships, HMS Hunter and HMS Hardy took heavy damage and reeled away sinking. The other four ships, unable to stop to offer assistance, fought tenaciously to break free finally reaching the comparative safety of open water, the waiting fleet, and the long struggle home for repairs. The first battle of Narvik was over and the Germans were back in control. But the German commander was aware how precarious his position was. Hundreds of miles from home base and with the world’s mightiest navy seemingly at his heels he had few choices and none of them good.

With two ships lost and more severally damaged decisions had to be made: Withdrawal or Reinforce. With the situation in the West deteriorating and the possibility of invasion a real one any more losses could have grave consequences but the opportunity to stop the German advance still presented itself. Their hold on Norway seemed light and their supply problems significant. It was decided to reinforce and land troops at various locations along the winding Norwegian coast. In conjunction with surviving Norwegian units, getting stronger by the day as their national call-up swung into effect, British troopships began arriving and unloading men and equipment – men untrained for winter fighting and equipment designed in the 1920’s unfit for the new style of modern warfare. But the ships and men needed defending as they disembarked most especially from air attack, something that neither the British army nor the navy had any great experience with. This was definitely about to change – in spades. As expected by the theorists between the wars, high-level bombing of manoeuvring ships had little effect and was, generally, easily avoided. Dive bombing whilst stationary in a narrow fjord with minimal warning – that was a wholly different experience. Those ships capably of elevating their guns high enough were rushed into service and came under concerted attack again and again through the hours of daylight. With captured airfields only minutes away and no allied air presence they began using the British ships as target practice and live-fire training exercises. Despite the best efforts of the gunners the inadequately armed ships survived more by luck and poor training on the German side than through force of arms. Ships dedicated to the anti-air role ran out of ammunition in a matter of days and had to return home to be rearmed and refitted. It was a sobering experience for everyone. 

Despite initial high hopes the tide was turning. After initial setbacks the Germans began to push forward and squeeze the British/Norwegian and French Alpine troops away from their objectives and back towards the ports they had landed at. With things going badly in France it was decided to finally withdrawer under the cover of the Navy and a handful of aged Gloucester Gladiator biplane fighters and hurricanes launched from a precious aircraft carrier off shore. The battle for Norway was over but the fighting was far from done. Blind luck prevented the returning troop convoy from running into German naval units but the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and her pair of escorting destroyers were not so lucky. Chanced upon by German heavy naval units Scharnhorst and Gneisenau they calmly began targeting the carrier at their leisure. With the carrier sinking, its sister ship sunk and calls for help jammed the captain of destroyer HMS Acasta had only one option. Calling for full speed and making heavy smoke he reassured his crew that they were not running from the enemy no matter how the odds looked. Emerging from its own smoke Acasta launched her torpedoes at point black range against the enemy. Back in smoke she turned again for a second attack and, as her torpedoes emerged from their tubes, she was repeatedly hit by devastating fire from the German capital ship and exploded with the loss of all but one man. But the desperate and heroic attack had not been in vain. One of the torpedoes had struck the Scharnhorst a crippling blow putting her out of action for many months to come making her unavailable for any possible invasion of Britain. Together with other losses sustained in the Norwegian campaign the German navy was sorely under resourced to undertake such a thing and this must have weighed heavily on any decision to advance Operation Sealion.

Told with great verve and passion this was a fascinating look at an early Royal navy operation in WW2 and one of which is, these days, hardly remembered next to the events in France and, of course, Dunkirk. But despite its fumbling start and ultimate failure this ‘side show’ taught the navy in particular important lessons that would stand it in good stead in the dark years to come and it most likely guaranteed that the planned invasion of Britain had simply become too difficult to contemplate in 1940. For which, I think, the whole world can be thankful. Definitely recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: Skis Against the Atom by Knut Haukelid (FP: 1954)

When the Germans invaded Norway in 1940 a group of students, including the author, raced to the front lines in the hope that they could do something to aid the hard pressed Norwegian armed forces. Having little but hunting rifles and quickly aware that their country was being overrun they had some stark choices to make: Fight and either die or be captured, run and hide hoping that liberation or victory would eventually come or escape to England to keep the fight going from there. If they wanted to fight the occupying army that, it appeared, was their only path. So, as the fighting raged they left their beloved country and headed for England. Years later, after extensive training in sabotage, infiltration and weapons use care of the SOE (Special Operations Executive) training schools the author and several of his University friends return by parachute. Their mission, to provide vital intelligence to Allied forces and to begin training an effective underground organisation that could take control of the country once the Germans began to withdraw and to prevent any last minute destruction of Norwegian infrastructure. As things are being put into place and agents are recruited an urgent message is received from London. As an absolute priority the Heavy Water plant near Telemark must be put out of action immediately no matter the cost. If it was allowed to continue production the possibility of Germany developing the Atomic bomb ahead of the Allies – and winning the war – became a real possibility. After the failure of a Special Forces attack and Allied bombing missions proved just how tough a nut Telemark was to crack only the untested Norwegian resistance stood in the way of possible German domination of the world.

Forming half of the basis for the 1965 movie ‘Heroes of Telemark’ starring Kirk Douglas (the other book being ‘But for These Men’ by John Drummond) this was an interesting little book of a now largely forgotten part of World War 2. Both the Allies and the Axis powers were aware of the destructive capabilities of atomic power and both were determined to get the Bomb first. The odds of the Germans actually getting their first where long – the Allies and especially the Americans having the resources, security and most of the greatest physicists on the planet available – but even the possibility of German nukes gave the Allies serious nightmares. So when it was discovered the Heavy Water, a vital component in the production of usable quantities of enriched Uranium, was being produced at Telemark and being shipped to Germany something really needed to be done about it. Because of the nature of the Heavy Water plant the only option was either a Commando raid (one was tried and failed), bombing (likewise) or Partisan action. With that accomplished the Germans determined that Norway was just too dangerous a place to produce such a vital element for victory and so the equipment and large quantities of Heavy Water would be transhipped to Germany where the project could be completed. Again the Partisans struck sinking the ferry carrying this vital equipment and none of it made it to the Fatherland.

Oddly both elements – so vital to stopping the German nuclear programme becoming a reality – are covered in only a handful of pages. Most of the book, only 160 pages long, in concerned with the training received in England, the difficulty in parachuting back into Norway (as a result of the weather rather than possible enemy action) and the difficult task of surviving the Norwegian winter. It was very much a case of simple survival, as well as not being captured in the repeated sweeps of the area, that constituted victory of a sort. Not only did the Norwegian resistance survive its formative process but it grew and held down a disproportionate number of German soldiers in the process. It’s activities at Telemark and later were its defining successes but the fact that thousands of fighters stepped out of the woods as the Germans left and secured the infrastructure against wanton destruction as they left helped Norway get back on its feet after 1945. An interesting story if a little thin on dramatic detail at times.

Just Finished Reading: The Viking Art of War by Paddy Griffith (FP: 1995)

The Vikings, who terrorised a whole continent for close to 300 years, have a fearsome reputation as a warrior elite who carved up their enemies as easily as they carved up their empires and simply took whatever they wanted. Likewise they freely navigated across the globe, from England and Ireland to Iceland, Greenland and they even discovered America centuries before Columbus. No wonder they fire the imagination of so many historians and anyone interested in the wild times of a warrior elite. It’s a shame, therefore, that very little of the legend is true – at least according to the author of this interesting work of military history.

He certainly has some worthy credentials to back up his claim being, after all, a Senior Lecturer in War Studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (essentially the UK equivalent of West Point) so he should certainly know a thing or two. He also provides us with the facts, as much as we can ascertain such things, which do tarnish the Viking reputation as some kind of superman or demon sent by God to prey on the wicked. Referencing the saga’s and contemporary accounts from across Europe it becomes clear that against poorly armed or poorly organised opposition the Vikings did prevail and “cause much slaughter”. But where they met determined defences the odds of success fell away rapidly with the sea pirates coming off worse (and sometimes much worse) as often as they prevailed. There greatest asset was their ability to ‘pop up’ almost anywhere sometimes miles from the coast in apparently ‘safe’ areas, take what they wanted or what was available then vanish before armed help could arrive. The fed on chaos and mismanagement but made little headway against well trained and well led troops – as they found to their cost in England during the reign of Alfred the Great and almost every time they tried to nibble off pieces of the Arab/Muslim empires towards the East. Here they were repeatedly repulsed with much more than a bloody nose.

Likewise the author calls into question their much talked about sense of adventure and basic navigation skills. Referring yet again to the saga’s he points out just how many times new lands where stumbled upon by accident, lost, found again and eventually settled by groups arriving in small fleets who often made landfall only after losing a number of their ships in the process. Normally the Viking ships rarely sailed out of sight of land and then only in the best possible weather – yet still significant numbers of their ships were lost in the process.

So where did the reputation of essential toughness and capability come from? A great part of it, it seems, was the unexpected nature of the attacks – seemingly random and almost always decidedly violent. Where countries had not prepared adequate defences the Vikings went where they liked, did what they wanted and took what they could carry. Anyone who objected generally ended up dead – but this was standard practice across Europe at the time. The Vikings, it appears, where not vastly different in the level of violence used from any of their contemporaries. It was their strangeness, the ever present fear of their arrival and the helplessness of the general population to defend themselves (by and large) that gave rise to the legend of the Northmen.

This was a very different book from the others in my Viking Blitz read concentrating as it does purely on the military aspects of this fascinating people. Discussing overall strategy, military organisation, tactics, weapons, ships and fighting techniques it was a valuable addition to my understand of their way of life and death. Definitely recommended for both Viking and Military History buffs.

Coming Next in History: Three Battles that made Britain.

Just Finished Reading: The Hammer and the Cross – A New History of the Vikings by Robert Ferguson (FP: 2009)

It’s odd sometimes when you read two books covering very much the same subject in quick succession. There’s always the real danger that the books will be so similar as to be positively boring. Such was not the case here. In fact things could hardly have been more different.

Despite the fact that the history of those times are probably as well known to both authors (although this author has a significant edge, I suspect, as he’s renowned as being one of the world’s leading experts in Scandinavian studies) the emphasis and analysis are worlds apart. Whilst the first book in the mini-blitz was what I call a ‘list’ book this volume had a definite narrative and a distinct story arc. Rather interestingly the author framed the Viking Age inside an ongoing religious war between militant Christianity – exemplified by Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire – and the Pagan world (the author consistently refers to them as Heathens rather than Pagans which mildly irritated me). Not only does this give context to the opening attack on Lindisfarne in AD793 – not just because monasteries contained known religious relics and other items of great expense – as an attack on Christianity itself but one that was in direct retaliation for Christian attacked on Heathen/Pagan sacred places. To me that makes a LOT more sense that 300 years of random and inexplicable attacks that almost stopped as soon, and as abruptly, as they began. Within a greater religious context just about everything falls into place and makes sense once again.

But it wasn’t just the overall narrative scaffold that made this a superior book – it was the author’s narrative style that made it such an enjoyable read as well as an informative one. Almost immediately I got the impression that here was someone completely at ease with his subject. This allowed him to relax into things and chat to, rather than lecture, the reader. His confidence shone through every page and this gave him the space and the opportunity to have fun with his subject. I doubt if many books on the Vikings have laugh out loud moments but this one certainly did. It helps, as you might imagine, to have a fairly dark sense of humour (something no doubt the Vikings would appreciate) but the humour is definitely there. The author is also determined to reclaim the Vikings from those who wish to see them as misunderstood traders and explorers who ‘occasionally roughed up the locals’. These where particularly violent people living in a violent time and violence was something they were very good at – so much so that they scared the pants off most of Europe for the best part of 3 centuries. In that time they influenced the destinies of nations throughout the Continent including France, Russia, Ireland and England (their significant influence in Scandinavian and Icelandic history is too obvious for comment here), adding genes, words and place names across a huge swathe of land, had colonies as far as field as Greenland and North America and even fought against Islam (where they generally came off much worse than when fighting Christians!).

The author not only has a deep knowledge of his subject but also has a deep love for it too. There’s a LOT of information packed into these 382 pages and there’s lots of names to contend with. What I can’t think of though are many times where he lost my interest or lost the thread of the story he was telling. I know it’s a much used cliché but he did manage to bring the subject alive and I managed to pick up on things that have intrigued or confused me before. So much so that if I had to pick a religion or a God to worship I’d pick Odin with little hesitation. Knowing what he did and why he did it definitely makes him the God for me. Recommended for anyone interesting in a violent time and a fascinating culture.        

Just Finished Reading: The Northmen’s Fury – A History of the Viking World by Philip Parker (FP: 2014)

It was as if they came from nowhere emerging fully formed as the leapt on to the pages of European and then world history – The Vikings! In AD 793 they launched their infamous raid on the off-shore island of Lindisfarne sacking the monastery built there. Having little respect for either the works or men (and women) of God there was little to stop them and much to plunder – just like banks centuries later in the 8th century onwards the Churches’ held the money and other valuables and where often located in isolated areas away from major towns. Along with the emerging trading centres across Europe – again handily located near water or rivers to facilitate transport made difficult inland by forests and banditry – these were like magnets drawing the Northmen from their sparse farmland into the very lucrative endeavour of raiding. For decade after decade they raided along every European coast and even deep inland using the many navigable rivers throughout the continent. Seemingly arriving almost anywhere at almost any time they were almost impossible to defeat or even bring to battle by the time they had been detected, the local militia or nearby army units alerted and brought to action and battle joined (and hopefully won). Bribing the leaders to go elsewhere was less than useless, although it was tried again and again, as it only helped to develop a well-oiled extortion racket. Only organisation, fortified ‘burghs’ or encouraging Viking bands to settle in border areas and, thereby, aid in the protecting of the hinterland by protecting their own (the classic example being Normandy) worked in the long run to stem the time – at least for a time. But 300 long and bloody years after the first raids terrified a continent the Viking menace disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived. This is the story developed in some details between these covers.

I actually found this book a little difficult to get into – despite my long interest in all things Viking. Part of it I think was the authors writing style and part the way the book was constructed. He seemed to start things in what I call a ‘list book’ – this happened, then this happened then this happened… and on and on. It’s historical fact without a connecting narrative, without a story to pin things on or locate things, places and people within. He also seemed to be quoting significant chunks of old texts simply translated into modern English with little interpretation which made everything rather dull. Finally the structure of the book inevitably led to a degree of repetition. The early chapters consisted of an overview of Viking history and culture – followed by sections dedicated to individual geographical areas, Iceland, York, Russia and so on during specific time periods. But as the Viking chieftains tended to move around quite a bit we find the same characters popping up time and again and being consistently cross referenced throughout the book.

OK, so that was the ‘bad’ part. Now the good bit. First there’s the fact of the Vikings themselves. In the world they inhabited they were certainly a larger than life bunch of people. You most certainly knew when the Vikings had arrived in your locality! Then there’s the sheer adventure of what they did and where they went – mot only all around the North Sea but to Iceland, Greenland and even North America. They travelled and settled in Russia, raided into the Mediterranean, attacked Constantinople and ended up as a highly regarded mercenary force personally loyal to the Eastern Emperor. They left artefacts, place names and genes across huge tracts of land and influenced the history of just about every country in Europe. So, the author had LOTS of good stuff to work with and, after a rather rocky start, he definitely managed to get across just how amazing this civilisation was. Not the best book I’ve read on the subject but far, far from the worst too. If you’re new to the Vikings or even if you’re familiar with them you’ll pick up some interesting facts and some unforgettable historical characters to mull over. More than reasonable (if you persevere).

Just Finished Reading: A Brief History of The Vikings – The Last Pagans or the First Modern Europeans? by Jonathan Clements

I have a ‘thing’ about warrior cultures as well as an interest in Vikings dating back to my childhood. Indeed it’s probably quite likely that I have some Viking genes kicking around my DNA (OK probably along with a lot of other Europeans) as they settled in the part of Ireland my Father was from – at least that’s what the romantic side of me thinks anyway.

But to the book itself….. Interestingly he doesn’t start with the usual introduction of the Viking Age with the attack on the monastery on Lindisfarne. He starts much further back in Roman times when there are apparent reports of Viking style raids on the East coast. Rather inevitably after the Romans left the raids increased and, from time to time, sometimes they stayed. As you might expect they never actually called themselves Vikings – indeed no one at the time called them that. Like many things to do with English history it was a term invented by the Victorians. But whatever they called themselves they came from Scandinavia sometimes as traders (AKA spies) and sometimes as raiders – especially when times were hard back home. They both raided and traded throughout Europe – all over England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, France (Normandy being named after them of course) and as far East as Russia. Apparently they tried to raid further East in the Arab lands but got their assess handed to them – although ironically they were sort after as mercenaries by various sultans. From bases in Iceland they sailed West discovering and occupying Greenland (presumably much greener back then) and more famously Vinland AKA Newfoundland where they had issues with the Native Americans – always a fascinating Alternative History jumping off point.  They most certainly got around. But where they most interested me and fed my ever growing interest in English history was how the Viking colonisation impacted on it. Of course this ended in 1066 with Harold Godwinson fighting the successful battle at Stamford Bridge followed by the much less successful one near Hastings. William the Bastard (later William the Conqueror) was of course a descendent of Vikings who had settled in Normandy.

I found this book very enjoyable indeed. Not only was it on a subject that I have long been interested in, the style of the writing was engaging with lots of interesting information that was new to me. Unlike the recent book on the Samurai I was able to keep track of most of the various characters in the book though I admit it helped to have heard of a fair few of them before. If you are interested in early European history in general or the Vikings in particular this is definitely the book for you. Recommended.