The Vikings

The Vikings (1986) – Stephanie Barton

Ladybird Books | ISBN: 9780721409450 | Condition: Very Good

Sold by Crappy Old Books – Where the Vikings Are Coming, the Monks Are Panicking, and Somebody Has Misplaced the Village Silver.

There was a time when the words “The Vikings are coming!” were not greeted with enthusiasm, historical curiosity or an invitation to visit the local heritage centre. They generally meant that a collection of extremely determined Scandinavians had appeared on the horizon in a longship, armed with axes, swords and a rather flexible interpretation of other people’s property rights.

Fortunately, by 1986, the Vikings had largely abandoned their enthusiasm for coastal raiding and become respectable subjects for Ladybird Books.

Stephanie Barton’s The Vikings introduces younger readers to the extraordinary world of the Norse seafarers, warriors, traders and explorers who made such a dramatic impression upon European history. Published during Ladybird’s golden age of wonderfully illustrated educational books, it offers an accessible journey into a period when international travel was considerably more dangerous, personal hygiene was a matter of circumstance, and an unexpected knock at the monastery door could have unfortunate consequences.

The Vikings have acquired a formidable reputation over the centuries, largely involving horned helmets, enormous beards and a general tendency to remove valuable objects from religious establishments without obtaining permission.

The horned helmets, incidentally, are largely a later invention. Apparently, charging into battle wearing two enormous projections from your head was not quite as practical as theatrical costume designers subsequently imagined.

But there was considerably more to Viking civilisation than smashing things and frightening monks.

These Scandinavian adventurers were remarkable sailors and navigators, travelling enormous distances across the North Atlantic, establishing settlements, developing trading networks and leaving their mark upon countries from Britain and Ireland to Iceland, Greenland and beyond.

They were also farmers, craftsmen, merchants and settlers, although these quieter occupations have traditionally attracted rather less attention than arriving unexpectedly with a battleaxe.

After all, nobody has ever produced a particularly exciting historical epic entitled Erik the Moderately Successful Turnip Farmer.

Ladybird’s great achievement was making history understandable without removing all the excitement. Its compact books, colourful illustrations and straightforward explanations introduced generations of British children to subjects they might otherwise have encountered only through rather intimidating school textbooks.

And the Vikings were an especially agreeable subject, offering ships, battles, exploration, strange customs and enough historical drama to keep even the most reluctant young reader interested.

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about these older Ladybird editions. They belong to an era when children were expected to learn useful things from actual books, rather than watching a three-minute animated video narrated by somebody apparently drinking six energy drinks an hour.

Condition: Very Good. This is a previously owned 1986 Ladybird edition, offered in Very Good condition. A pleasing survivor from the days when educational books were small, affordable, attractive and sufficiently sturdy to endure repeated encounters with enthusiastic children.

Ideal for collectors of vintage Ladybird books, enthusiasts of Viking history, nostalgic former schoolchildren and younger readers discovering the fascinating world of the Norsemen.

Available from Crappy Old Books, where we welcome Viking enthusiasts but would politely request that customers refrain from pillaging the premises.

A delightful little introduction to the age of longships, exploration and Scandinavian adventure.

And unlike an actual Viking expedition, purchasing it should not result in the destruction of a monastery.

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