Children of Ash and Elm

A History of the Vikings

By: Neil Price

Narrated by: Samuel Roukin

The definitive history of the Vikings - from arts and culture to politics and cosmology - by a distinguished archaeologist with decades of expertise

The Viking Age - from 750 to 1050 saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples into the wider world. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they ranged from eastern North America to the Asian steppe. But for centuries, the Vikings have been seen through the eyes of others, distorted to suit the tastes of medieval clerics and Elizabethan playwrights, Victorian imperialists, Nazis, and more. None of these appropriations capture the real Vikings, or the richness and sophistication of their culture. 

Based on the latest archaeological and textual evidence, Children of Ash and Elm tells the story of the Vikings on their own terms: their politics, their cosmology and religion, their material world. Known today for a stereotype of maritime violence, the Vikings exported new ideas, technologies, beliefs, and practices to the lands they discovered and the peoples they encountered, and in the process were themselves changed. From Eirík Bloodaxe, who fought his way to a kingdom, to Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir, the most traveled woman in the world, Children of Ash and Elm is the definitive history of the Vikings and their time.

©2020 Neil Price (P)2020 Recorded Books

The Best of the Best

I just finished listening to "Children of Ash and Elm" for the second time and I l still think it is one of the best histories of any group of people I have read.
Neil Price is an archeologist and brings that experience to bear while writing an extraordinarily inclusive and, in my mind, the definitive history of the Vikings available today. Every possible angle has been examined and researched. The writing is thoughtful, occasionally funny, and thoroughly well-told.
Add to this an amazing narrator, Samuel Roukin, and you've got an extraordinary package. Roukin never stumbles over even the most difficult names and places but renders them
perfectly in their native tongue. He reads like he's talking to a friend about something that greatly interests him. I will look for other works just to hear Roukin read.
Well worth the time for anyone interested in history even if Vikings are not your "thing. "

Fantastic

I loved this book. It is a balanced overview. The narrator is amazing. His pronunciation is fluid between the languages which makes listening easy and informative.

Great overview

Starting with prehistory, this book is a great overview of the culture, history and politics of the Viking age. I learned a lot, particularly about the culture and latest archeological finds.

Very well researched and written

I have a friend who's been researching Vikings for years and absolutely denies the stereotypical look at Vikings of conquerors and people who attacked others. While in a conversation someone suggested reading this book to learn the truth. I listened to the book and I enjoyed it because the author gives us historical reference points to verify their statements/claims.

I really enjoy learning about the history of the Vikings. I like how the author starts out with the volcanic eruptions as a possible cause of the Vikings sudden aggression/increased aggression. I know a geologist that has talked about these volcanic eruptions and the impact they've had on people before 1,000 AD. Now this gives me more insight.

The author talks about their time digging as an archaeologist at different sites and all of their experiences. This gives us a more first hand walk at some of the fines as well as somebody who shows their genuine, interested and connected to the work in which they're writing about.

The detailed information about the Vikings' progression across Europe and into North America was interesting. Learning about the different groups within the Vikings was also very interesting. I enjoyed learning about the historical text which has survived from various different sources, giving us some insight into the Viking way of life. These are not comprehensive texts to show us every aspect of our life, but it gives us a look.

Anyone wanting to know about the history of Vikings? We'll find this book very useful. Even my friend who rejects anything showing Vikings as aggressive had to admit the evidence is in this book. As the author said let us not forget the impact Vikings had on this world and how it lasts into the 21st century.

Deeply interesting and comprehensive

I am so glad that Dan Carlin mentioned this book in his most recent podcast. It was an absolute joy to listen to.

It is clearly well researched and comprehensive, yet is able to convey the information in a way that holds your attention.
This book comes from a holistic view, neither glorifying nor vilifying the vikings. Rather, the author does his best to take an honest look at viking society and delves into what we know about what drove them to do the things they did.

I'd be eager for any more audio releases from this author (I also deeply enjoyed the reader. He did a fantastic job)