The Long Ships

By: Frans G. Bengtsson, Michael Meyer, Michael Chabon

Narrated by: Michael Page

Bengtsson's hero, Red Orm-canny - courageous and above all lucky - is only a boy when he is abducted from his Danish home by the Vikings and made to take his place at the oars of their dragon-prowed ships. Orm is then captured by the Moors in Spain, where he is initiated into the pleasures of the senses and fights for the Caliph of Cordova. Escaping from captivity, Orm washes up in Ireland, where he marvels at those epicene creatures, the Christian monks, and from which he then moves on to play an ever more important part in the intrigues of the various Scandinavian kings and clans and dependencies. Eventually, Orm contributes to the Viking defeat of the army of the king of England and returns home an off-the-cuff Christian and a very rich man, though back on his native turf new trials and tribulations will test his cunning and determination.

Packed with pitched battles and blood feuds, and told throughout with wit and high spirits, Bengtsson's book is a splendid adventure that features one of the most unexpectedly winning heroes in modern fiction.

©1954, 2010 Frans G. Bengtsson; translation copyright 1954 by Michael Meyer; Introduction copyright 2010 by Michael Chabon (P)2017 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Beautiful

This is a beautifully written book but only to be matched by the way it was read. Can’t wait for the movie... whenever that day may come.

Wonderful!

Amazing!. A little bloody to start, but what an amazing historical picture of the spread of the Christian faith throughout Scandinavia. A beautiful story of courage and faith, and the power it produces.

Viking piqueresque, wandering and plundering

Jolly and bloody with plenty of historical details, one adventure after another narrated with aplomb in a genuine Viking-sounding accent. A big boy's Tom Sawyer.

Outstanding story, excellent reading

Like Mark Twain, but it is about Vikings, profound and ridiculous at the same time, sorry when it was done.

amazing read for the traveling mind

I loved this book for the opportunity to travel from the seat of my car while working. It gave me the opportunity to be a viking in a Viking ship will set it in my car doordash eating my heart away. I will always remember my Adventures is a Viking. great read!