Review One of the greatest victories won by an English host over a Viking army... In his account of the battle and the events leading up to it, Professor DeVries tells this exciting and absorbing story. SPECULUMThis very accessible narrative...tells the story of 'the first two important battles of 1066', Fulford Gate and Stamford Bridge, and of the leaders of the opposing English and Norwegian factions. CHOICEThe evidence of later 12th- and 13th-century Norse sagas, Snorri Sturlusson's Heimskringla, and the less well known Norwegian Kings Sagas...present far more detail about the invasion and its battles than the more widely accepted sources could possibly allow... He places the invasion in a broad context. He outlines the Anglo-Scandinavian nature of the English kingdom in the eleventh century, traces the careers of the major leaders, and devotes a chapter each to the English and Norwegian military systems. JOURNAL OF MILITARY HISTORY [US] Synopsis William the Conqueror's invasion in 1066 was not the only attack on England that year. On September 25, 1066, less than three weeks before William defeated King Harold II Godwinson at the battle of Hastings, that same Harold had been victorious over his other opponent of 1066, King Haraldr Hardradi of Norway at the battle of Stamford Bridge. It was an impressive victory, driving an invading army of Norwegians from the earldom of Northumbria; but it was to cost Harold dear. In telling the story of this neglected battle, Kelly DeVries traces the rise and fall of a family of English warlords, the Godwins, as well as that of the equally impressive Norwegian warlord Hardradi. KELLY DEVRIES is Associate Professor, Department of History, Loyola College in Maryland. See all Product description
A**N
Inexplicably bad
Total faith in saga literature does not bode well for a book on Harald Hardrada. Add to this the use of references such Freeman's history of 1870 and History Today articles from the 1950s and you will get the picture. Apparently 'Scandinavian soldiers' painted their mail coats white and it was they who introduced swords into Britain. etc. Another affectation is giving the Icelandic of his saga quotations as footnotes and the Latin of SOME of his other sources. If the translation is not a matter for debate, and this is surely not a book aimed at language specialists, then why the pretention? A third of the book is a profile of Harold Godwineson and background to his kingship, there is one chapter on invasion and one on Stamford Bridge. Neither chapter has a map worthy of the name.The book is un-illustrated save for a few basic maps and genealogies, so it is not saved by being a coffee-table book. One could say this is a survey of the subject but it is unremarkable and a little legwork will now find much more interesting material on this subject. (just reading Harald's Saga and the Anglo Saxon Chronicle without interruptions is probably better). Get it second hand and then give it away to a patient friend.
J**S
Interesting subject, problematic and unoriginal delivery
The Norwegian invasion of England by Harald Hadrada in 1066 did not use to get half the coverage that the Norman one attracts, largely because the former attempt failed whereas the later was successful. As the author makes clear, however, the two invasions were largely linked and the Norwegian one, by drawing Harold and his army to the North and by weakening it, considerably helped and ensured that the last Anglo-Saxon King did not face the Norman invaders under the best conditions.Despite the considerable interest that the topic covered should arise, the book's contents, its targeted audience and the author's methods, the style and the tone are rather problematic. The contents are such that the book's title almost seems to be a misnomer at times, with, for instance, a large section of over fifty pages on the Godwinsons, preceding another 44 plus pages on Harold himself. Rather than being about the Norwegian invasion, about two-thirds of the book is in fact a summarized history of the Anglo-Saxon and then Anglo-Dane kingdom during the first sixty years or so of the 11th century. A related, and somewhat annoying, feature that you will come across when reading this book is the amount of repetitions, as the author makes or comes back to the same points again and again in various chapters. Finally, and since this book was first published in 1999, a number of other, much more focused, titles have appeared and cover the same events.I struggled somewhat with the author's methods and intentions. It seems that this was intended as a scholarly book directed at a general audience. However, the accumulation of quotations and footnotes, with the latter sometimes making the better part of each page, is somewhat problematic. Sometimes I got the impression that the author was writing a commentary of the various theses presented by his predecessors rather than telling the story to the reader. In other instances, the quotations in both translations and the original versions (Old Norse, Old English, Latin) took up entire pages, were not necessary to make the point, and gave the somewhat unpleasant impression that the author felt the need to prove something through this kind of display.I also got the impression that, with one or two exceptions, there was very little in this book that was really original. For instance, the sections on the Norwegian and the Anglo-Saxon armies and their respective equipment and tactics were rather bland. At times, the book even felt like a compilation. One of these exceptions is the discussion about the presence of cavalry and the use of cavalry charges by the Anglo-Saxons at the battle of Stamford Bridge, with Kelly DeVries being among those who believe that this happened.The wider and more general issue lurking behind this very specific item is the amount of credit that historians should give to later Scandinavian Sagas of the 12th and 13th centuries especially since they seem to be the only sources to mention these cavalry charges. All historians which deal with the "Viking area" have to tackle this issue somehow and the approaches range from accepting these sources at face value to rejecting them entirely as anachronistic, and anything in between. Rather than taking sides, it would have been preferable for the author to acknowledge that we simply do not know.A couple of points are however very well made. One was to show that the Norwegians were caught by surprise, and therefore both outnumbered and without their armour at Stamford Bridge, with both elements playing a key role in the victory. The second point which the author shows is the speed and record time with which Harold and his army marched up to York and down again to Hastings. He could probably have emphasized this point further. It is much more important in demonstrating that the Anglo-Saxon (more accurately Anglo-Scandinavian) army was a superb, well-organized, highly disciplined fighting force (at least its huscarl component) than whether Anglo-Saxons used cavalry charges or not.
T**O
A fascinating guide to the past
I've read this twice - once absolutely enthralled by the events that unfolded during that period in our history, (and the events surrounding the events) and then again to take in the valuable footnotes.I really appreciated the author's style of writing; authoritative, yet accessible even to a complete lay person like myself. DeVries conveys an enormous amount of information, without making the reader feel as though they're ploughing through a long list of facts. In other words this book was entertaining and informative, and I highly recommend this book, whether you're a history student, or like me, just an avid reader.Julia
P**K
A good read, popularist in style but scholarly in approach
A very readable book, which draws on the broadest range of evidence from contemporary sources to C14th tradition and speculation. This evidence is used to reconstruct the background to the fateful events of 1066 from the reign of Ethelred II, to more immediate influences in England, Norway, Denmark, and Normandy. The character and military accomplishments of each of the key personalities is clearly presented, with a particular focus on Harold Hardrada, Godwin, Harold II, and Tostig.Throughout the book extensive reference is made to source material in Old Norse, Old English, and Latin. While a translation is offered in the main text, the original is presented in the accompanying footnote. On some occasions it may be noted that the text fails to make comment on the use of relevant aspects of literary convention in Old Norse, for further information on this aspect I would recommend Jesse Byrock's book 'Viking Age Iceland'. As such, some interesting features in the source material are presented without the accompanying discussion that I would have expected.In terms of the military aspects of the campaign, the Norwegian and English military systems are each described, and then the events leading to the culmination at Stamford Bridge and Ricall are presented. The battle narratives for Fulford Gate and Stamford Bridge are each supported by a useful sketch map of the deployments, and a clear statement of what is known and the aspects that are considered less certain. As such a range of perspectives are given, from which the reader may take their own view.I was amazed how quickly I read this book. Both popularist in style but scholarly in approach. It should appeal to anyone with an interest in the Norse, Late Anglo-Saxon England, or the lesser known events of 1066.
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