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River Kings Hardcover – February 18, 2021

by Cat Jarman (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,652 ratings
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A brilliant new history that dramatically reassesses how far the Viking world extended.
Dr Cat Jarman exposes the unexpected routes that Viking travel and trade took - and how these kings of the river were frequent travellers of the Middle East and the Silk Road.
One June day late in the eighth century, Norse seafarers arrived at the English island of Lindisfarne. They waged a savage attack on its unsuspecting abbey, and with this, the Age of the Vikings was born. These roving pillagers spent the next few hundred years raiding and trading a path across Northern and Western Europe. Except, that's not quite true. It's just a convenient place to start the story - a story that has seen radical new discoveries over the past few years.
Dr Cat Jarman works on the cutting edge of bioarchaeology, using forensic techniques to research the paths of Vikings who came to rest in British soil. By examining teeth that are now over one thousand years old, she can determine childhood diet, and thereby where a specimen was likely born. With radiocarbon dating, she can ascertain a death date down to the range of a few years.
In 2012, a carnelian bead came into her temporary possession. River Kings sees her trace its path back to eighth-century Baghdad, discovering along the way that the Vikings' route was far more varied than we might think, that with them came people from the Middle East, not just Scandinavia, and that the reason for all this unexpected integration between the Eastern and Western worlds may well have been a slave trade running through the Silk Road, and all the way to Britain.
River Kings is a major reassessment of the Vikings, and of the medieval world as we know it.
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    William Collins
  4. Publication date
    February 18, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    6.26 x 1.26 x 9.45 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0008353077
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0008353070
  8. See all details
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  1. Throughout the late ninth and tenth centuries, a relentless hunger for silver fuelled much of the Vikings’ expansion.
    Highlighted by 58 Kindle readers
  2. Another profitable part of the operation was obtaining and selling slaves. Here the success of the venture was so great that the very name of the people captured – the Slavs – has given rise to the word slave.
    Highlighted by 54 Kindle readers
  3. According to the traditional narrative, the Viking Age began when a band of Vikings attacked the wealthy monastery at Lindisfarne in Northumbria on 8 June 793.
    Highlighted by 41 Kindle readers
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Collins (February 18, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0008353077
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008353070
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.29 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.26 x 1.26 x 9.45 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,652 ratings

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  1. Cat Jarman

    Cat Jarman

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,652 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides detailed information about Vikings and their important role in medieval history. They describe it as an easy read with well-written content and a fascinating reappraisal of the Vikings' important role in the medieval world. Readers appreciate the book's coverage of trading Vikings and their forays to the East.

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Information qualityReadabilityViking history
16 customers mention "Information quality"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and easy to read. They appreciate the detailed research and interesting reappraisal of the Vikings' important role in the medieval world. The book is full of facts from different disciplines and is accessible to non-academic readers.

"...All the reviews in and on the book are spot on. Perfect for anyone wanting to know what came before the Viking explosion of the west." Read more

"The best research I have ever read about East and west Vikings in their days. This answered all my questions about Rus Vikings and their beginning." Read more

"...a medieval viking burial site in england, the author takes the reader on a breathtaking journey of how modern science can tease incredible levels of..." Read more

"Absolutely fascinating account blending history archaeology and science. Riveting. Every page filled with easily understood research...." Read more

12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and well-written. They appreciate the author's simple yet detailed storytelling throughout. The book explores the Vikings' trade and influence on various cultures.

"...All the reviews in and on the book are spot on. Perfect for anyone wanting to know what came before the Viking explosion of the west." Read more

"...a bit in the middle of the book, the author's simple but detailed storying telling held throughout. A good read." Read more

"...The book is based on archeological research but it is easy to read and explains clearly how the VIKINGS tráveled and traded from Scandinavia to..." Read more

"Easy read and an interesting topic, however, too much it could be this or that...." Read more

8 customers mention "Viking history"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and informative about Viking history. They appreciate the recent archeological studies and coverage of the trading Vikings. The book answers questions about the origins of the Rus Vikings and their forays to the east. It provides a great background on the Viking and Scandinavian presence in Europe. Readers praise the author as an experienced archeologist and historian who is knowledgeable in the field.

"...This answered all my questions about Rus Vikings and their beginning." Read more

"...on archeological research but it is easy to read and explains clearly how the VIKINGS tráveled and traded from Scandinavia to Bizantium, linking..." Read more

"Interesting updates on Viking history and global reach. From the Winter Camps in England to the far east" Read more

"Great background on the Viking/ Scandinavian presence in Europe. Was marketed as “telling the story”...." Read more

Good book but publishing issues
3 out of 5 stars
Good book but publishing issues
The book is very good but in the paperback, the first 20 pages are out of order.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Dani
    5.0 out of 5 stars “I couldn’t put it down”
    Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book was fantastic and I couldn’t put it down. I was a bit sad that it ended. Looking forward to anything Cat puts out. All the reviews in and on the book are spot on. Perfect for anyone wanting to know what came before the Viking explosion of the west.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • hal cox
    5.0 out of 5 stars Vikings
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The best research I have ever read about East and west Vikings in their days. This answered all my questions about Rus Vikings and their beginning.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • hiker1
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent coverage of Viking's forays to the east
    Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Well written book exploring the trade and influences of the Vikings into Eastern Europe and Middle East. Based on some of the authors research on how and when the Vikings became a factor in establishing trade routes and alliances in the east.

    Although the book bogged down a bit in the middle of the book, the author's simple but detailed storying telling held throughout.

    A good read.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Kurt
    5.0 out of 5 stars this is a great example of the marriage of modern science and history
    Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    researching a medieval viking burial site in england, the author takes the reader on a breathtaking journey of how modern science can tease incredible levels of information from the simplest things. DNA can reveal ancestry and relationships, teeth reveal childhood locations and diet, isotope analysis reveals the origin of gemstones and hidden trade routes. expertly told by a top researcher, this is accessible to the non-academic. if you are interested in viking culture and history, or in general how science in revolutionizing ancient and medieval history, this is a must read......
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Juan Pablo Nicholls
    5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK ON THE VIKINGS IN THE EAST
    Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Excelente book by a great British historian. Based on archeological finds the author explains how the VIKINGS traded goods with the EAST through the Rivers in Russia and Ukraine and the Black sea. The book is based on archeological research but it is easy to read and explains clearly how the VIKINGS tráveled and traded from Scandinavia to Bizantium, linking Europea with the Silk Road.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Discerning Reader and Buyer
    5.0 out of 5 stars easily reading with deep research
    Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Absolutely fascinating account blending history archaeology and science. Riveting. Every page filled with easily understood research. Will re-read and recommend to all.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Lewis Bennington
    4.0 out of 5 stars Adds new info
    Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Glad I bought this book. The reviews on the cover are hype in my opinion and unneeded. They set the reader with expectations and claims the author does not make. This author clearly knows her field quite well, and even though viking age history has many books on it, she brings relevant insight and data that I found helpful.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Easy read, too much back and forth
    Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Easy read and an interesting topic, however, too much it could be this or that. While I completed the book and gleaned some new insights into the Viking's travels to the East, the book could have been shorter.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Vera
    5.0 out of 5 stars River Kings
    Reviewed in Canada on July 24, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Well documented and entertaining
    Report
  • wilb
    5.0 out of 5 stars Zu empfehlen
    Reviewed in Germany on December 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Ein kleines Fundstück, welches eine große Geschichte beschreibt. Informativ und anregend. Das Buch regt dazu an sich mit dem ostskandinavischen Raum zu beschäftigen. Mir hat es einige "aha"-Momente beschert.
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  • markb
    5.0 out of 5 stars Rethinking the Vikings.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Drawing on the latest findings from archaeology and forensic science, Jarman offers readers a comprehensive account of Viking history covering their activities over several centuries from Derbyshire to Baghdad. Readers interested in this topic will already be aware of Viking raiding in the British Isles but Jarman directs our attention east to their settlements in present day Ukraine; their mercenary service for the Byzantine empire; and to their key role trading precious artefacts along the Silk Road. The Vikings were a truly globalised people with sinews stretching from their Scandinavian homelands across the known world. Clearly, they were innovative maritime engineers and shipbuilders but Jarman also highlights their achievements as craftsmen and artists. She offers fascinating insights, challenging conventional stereotypes. For example, women journeyed on Viking voyages not merely as handmaidens, but also as warriors who could be as feared as their men for their prowess in pillaging and looting. Some women too were rulers with significant power and status.
    This book is a detailed, thoroughly well written, history of the Vikings and their era. It will surely be essential reading for anyone interested in understanding their impact on the development of Europe and beyond.
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  • Katrina Wood
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well reasoned and persuasive
    Reviewed in Australia on July 4, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    As an avid reader in the 'Viking' genre and a historical fiction writer, I would consider this essential reading.
    Straying almost completely away from the long retold 'raiding' (vikingr) escapades in the west, this book details the cultural impacts of the East on the trading Scandanavians. Though, in truth, they were one and the same.

    Well structured, easy and enjoyable to read focussed on new (isotope anayasis) technological developments that help us understand evidence found through archeological digs.
    Customer image
    Katrina Wood
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Well reasoned and persuasive

    Reviewed in Australia on July 4, 2022
    As an avid reader in the 'Viking' genre and a historical fiction writer, I would consider this essential reading.
    Straying almost completely away from the long retold 'raiding' (vikingr) escapades in the west, this book details the cultural impacts of the East on the trading Scandanavians. Though, in truth, they were one and the same.

    Well structured, easy and enjoyable to read focussed on new (isotope anayasis) technological developments that help us understand evidence found through archeological digs.
    Images in this review
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  • J. D. Foy
    5.0 out of 5 stars An important book for anyone wanting up-to-date knowledge of the origins and travels of the Vikings
    Reviewed in Canada on October 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Dr. Jarman is an accomplished scientist and communicator, a mid-career bioarchaeologist who has made major contributions to recent knowledge, which she reports here in a wonderfully engaging book. The style is popular but the scholarship is never downplayed or hidden. The recent evidence she presents from isotope analyses and DNA investigations raises questions and also answers questions, and her strength is that she communicates both the new certainties and the new uncertainties.
    I highly recommend this engaging and well-written book to anyone who is curious about how, when, where, and why these remarkable people spread themselves so unexpectedly and violently both eastward, westward, and south from the Scandinavian peninsula. For example, I found her discussion of the adoption of sail technology, and the Viking's mastery of boat-building, particularly enlightening.
    She also brings clarity to something so often unacknowledged: the world of the 800's was by no means a dark age. People were already in contact with each other over long distances, trading and intermarrying, and the Vikings were known to mainland Europe long before their raids and depredations made them notorious.
    I foresee this book being cited for many more years, and providing inspiration for another generation of scholars.
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