An insightful and moving account of one of the most interesting periods/culture in history (to me, anyway). Price paints a vivid portrait of 'Viking' society, challenging the stereotypes and common misconceptions of a people that are constantly misrepresented (as Price constantly points out.) The way he weaves together mythology and fact to create a magical account of the Vikings' journey from creation to the slow transition to a Christian society is immersive and thought-provoking, beautiful and succinct. What sets this apart from most historical accounts for me is the case Price makes for diversity and the inclusion of trans and nonbinary identities; it seems, too often, historians and such are eager to bury any evidence of LGBT identities existing in the past, and to have the possibility poised really stuck with me.

Extensively thought out, well-written and clearly stated, with the inclusion of a considerable amount of references, Children of Ash and Elm definitely stands out among the accounts of the Viking Age. Probably my favorite ARC I've received from NetGalley thus far.

This is a very intriguing and in-depth look into the life of Vikings. Blending historical accounts, archeology, and Norse mythology this book dives into the world of the Vikings. Everything from their clothing to their hierarchy system is covered in this amazing book. It is all presented in a fresh and interesting way that keeps the pages turning.

I learned a lot from this and was surprised by several things that I learned from this. I really enjoyed reading through this and I'm glad that I came across it.

5 Stars!

A fascinating cross-disciplinary look at the rise of the Vikings. This book tries to understand how the Vikings saw their world and what motivated them to pursue their raiding and conquering. Price draws on archeology, historiography, genetics, economics, and even climate science to develop as thorough a picture as possible of a culture that did not write it's own history or stories. He traces the Vikings rise from a multiyear winter caused by massive volcano eruptions that caused global climate impacts. He explores the similarities between Viking culture and pirate systems in the 18th century, the rise of sea kings, and the economic impact of raiding and trading on nordic populations. This is a clear-eyed view of what they were and how they saw their world and will realign any fuzzy popularized view you might have of Vikings.

I thought Children of Ash and Elm was an interesting and informative book. I love history but my knowledge of the Vikings was lacking. I learnt so much from this book about the Vikings lives and mythology. I did find it was a little too long and there were parts what were a bit long winded. The ebook format didn't quite work for me. Whilst I liked seeing the pictures I often got confused between the description for them and the body of the book. I think I would have much preferred reading a physical copy of the book.

Anybody who studied ‘The Vikings’ at primary or secondary school will have some idea of what these apparently violent men from the North did in the so-called ‘Axe Age’, but after reading 'The Children of Ash and Elm' one realises this school history is misleading because it is extremely superficial. In this excellent work, author Neil Price not only tells us what the Norse who went a-viking did, but why.
The book opens with a brief look at some of their fundamental mythology, giving us a glimpse at the gods, spirits and demons that in many respects governed their thinking. This moves on to the major climate event that devastated their land and socio-cultural groups in the sixth century. We then read about where they lived and how, and then onto trade – which was so much more sophisticated and far-ranging than I believed. Essentially, Price is re-educating readers about the Viking period, their Scandinavian world and world-view. What he reveals makes compelling reading.
Without question, this is one of the best history books I have ever read. I shall be buying a hard-back copy to re-read and keep.
Unfortunately maps, illustrations and some formatting scrambled on my Kindle. The e-book needs attention for basic Kindle readers.
The book itself is highly recommended.

I featured this title in a nonfiction roundup and will provide the specific details directly to the publisher in the next round of this process.

Children of Ash and Elm is a wonderful look into the history of the Vikings. There is so much information discussed that is looked at with a close, anthropological, and archeological eye. This book is not there to portray them in any fantastic or mystical light but to see them for how they truly were and lived.

I would definitely recommend this book as a place to start when wanting to learn about the true history of the Vikings.

This is a scholastic reference book, so expect it to read accordingly; that said, I found it to be fairly interesting and engrossing as it reinforced what I already knew and added substantially to it. While the scholarship within this book is fairly evident, it remains accessible to the 'layman' with how it is presented to the reader. This means that readers who have more experience with some of the historical disciplines combined by the author may find themselves skimming over significant parts of the book while the author brings the rest of us up to speed. It does drag considerably once it gets into the various Viking raids (I am sure there is something I missed in all that while skimming).

Most of the literature about the Vikings has focused What they did and not Why they did it. This book attempts to rectify that oversight. It begins by exploring the actual etymology of the term Viking before trying to identify exactly who the Vikings were and highlight some of the accretions that get us to how to see Vikings today. Rather than defining Vikings by the encounters they had with more than 50 peoples, this book tries to example the similarities within Vikings culture using a few interactions as examples of the whole. But first ... let's talk about what we know and how we know it (and of course the limitations of how we know it). Probably the most significant limitation of any Viking Era research is the scarcity of written material from within its predominately oral culture (nearly all of the written histories are from "foreign contemporaries" who wrote about them).

To get an idea of the Viking mind, the other begins with an exploration of Nordic Cosmology/Mythology. As something of a Nordophile, I already knew most of this material and found it to be clearly stated and inline with my expectations after skimming through most of it. The difference here is the author's more pragmatic approach to these myths that tries to identify how these myths are linked aspects of ordinary Viking life instead of a foundation for religious life (which was also inline with my expectations). In other words, he tries ot make distinction between appearance/perception and reality. What I found most helpful here was the author's ability to combine, explain and contrast different aspects of Viking Era beliefs.

After this, the author explores what set the Vikings in motion. Citing various environmental and political changes that severely impact the North around the 6th century, we find wide spread evidence of a population under stress; with a reminder that populations under stress usually start migrating elsewhere (in this case, potentially accompanied by former Roman auxiliaries; or perhaps simply Roman armed former allies). [Fimbul]Winter is coming ... and Scandinavian communities needed to reinvent themselves to survive, and what emerged was a very different society.

One aspect explored where I learned quite a lot was the intersection of law, magic and sexuality. I am sure some of the material is controversial, but it did explain a number of concepts that have puzzled me before ... such as the whole idea of women's magic (seithr) and why men were not allowed to practice it. Just as important, the author highlights several instances of Viking behavior (typically around funerary practices) for which we may never have a satisfactory explanation. In the end, I came away with a better understanding of the Viking Age.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#ChildrenofAshandElm #NetGalley

This book is VERY extensive, but still easy to read and with very interesting information. By not going too deep into any details, we keep the overview at all times, but still have the necessary examples. The only thing I don't like, is that the Norse religion is so dominant in the first part (including the title), it would be better placed at the end for those interested.

Children of Ash and Elm by Neil Price is a fascinating , well written and thoroughly researched account of Viking history and society. It is very detailed and quite scholarly but not to a degree that would alienate a lay reader. there is a lot of depth to sink your teeth into but is never overwhelming. The title comes from a creation myth and over the course of the book the author looks at the roles mythology and religion played in all aspects of Viking culture. I loved that the author did not just focus on the facts of the various raids etc but tried to figure out what would have motivated the behaviour. I also found the chapter titled "Border Crossings" with its discussion of gender roles and expectations particularly illuminating and interesting, as was the chapter dealing with death and burial rites.
In a time where the media portrayal ,be it in television shows like Vikings or even movies like Marvel's Thor films, has made Vikings more popular than ever, this is a great book to look at the history and culture in more death.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

What an interesting book! I really had no idea about the socio-cultural impact the Vikings had throughout history and how they've influenced modern society. What a truly timeless and remarkable people.
I originally requested this book because I recently finished watching 3 seasons of the hit TV-show “Vikings” and was very intrigued by their culture and way of life and wanted to learn about their history. I was so lucky to stumble upon this ARC. Author Neil Price does an exemplary job in navigating the ways of the Vikings, their journeys and at times brutal conquests. He is able to do this in a way that is thought-provoking (tying them to modern culture) and engaging. He is so informative and descriptive that you can feel his hard work and passion on every single page. I can't imagine the amount of hard work and research that went into writing this book. He is thorough and his research is well supported. Although the Vikings are often described as “brutal” and “savage”, Price lets us see them for who they truly were- a people trying to survive, modernize and conquer (just like every other people throughout history). Reason for the 4 stars- at times I lost interest and wanted to skip through some sections (but I didn't!!!); however this is simply personal opinion.
Highly Recommend!
ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Detailed, multi-faceted study🤓

Quite comprehensive: there's so much information compiled here that it's definitely a scholarly rather than entertaining read. The famous exploits of Viking raiders in the British Isles and their westerly explorations are just a small part of this history. The height of the Viking era is so much more; Price's book details both the historic exploits and their everyday social life.

If you want to know more about the full range of their trading and expansion, or how they lived at home, this book covers it all. It's loaded with fact and best conjecture when evidence requires interpretation, and quite heavy reading; if you are looking for entertaining adventure tales, I would say this is not the book you want.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

"Children of Ash and Elm" is a wonderful history of "Vikings" by Neil Price. I was looking for a history of Vikings that was recently published when I stumbled on this one from Goodreads which began my venture with NetGalley. I am happy to say that this book is hitting every aspect of a Viking history that I was looking for. From a creation story of the universe (or "Ginnungagap", the yawning void), to the creation of mankind with Askr (ash) and Embla (elm), as well as a history of the culture and military. This book is all encompassing and is a must read for those interested in the history of this Scandinavian people. This is a book that does not require any prior knowledge to appreciate it to its fullest extent.

As a person of proudly Swedish descent, I have recently been delving into Scandinavian history, and was so thrilled to have such a well-researched book on the Viking people. Though Vikings are the central figures, Price does a great job at delving into pre-history, and also touching on the global Viking impact. I'm not the biggest reader of history books, the dates & places & rulers type of information often bores me, but there was enough other content in this book to keep me very interested. I love the way the author weaves archeological, scientific, and literary evidence to tell a compelling story about the Viking people. He addresses everything from their belief systems to their daily life to their sea-faring expeditions. It was definitely a long book, but one that kept my interest from start to finish. If you have any interest in Viking or Scandinavian history, you will enjoy this book!

Some really good references. A good look to the more day to day stuff of viking life - funerals, clothing, geography, status, crimes and more. A great reference for readers who want to have a more rounded look at Vikings.

A dense and informative book from Neil Price giving a detailed history of the Viking Age covering the Norse gods, raids on England and France, migration to Iceland and Greenland and Vineland, and travel and trade to places as far away as Constantinople. This is a great read for anyone wanting to learn more about the Viking influence on the shape of the modern world.

"𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑽𝒊𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒊𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒆, 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 (𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈) 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉, 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒎𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑽𝒊𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌, 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕."
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The Children of Ash & Elm is an amazing look behind the curtain of mythology and legend to discover what the Vikings were really like. Huge recommend for this one; the prose is confident and heady with descriptions of the people who have so captured our collective imagination. I can't wait to get a physical copy of this book so I can really peruse all the maps and images. As always, thanks to @netgalley
and the publishers for this ARC.
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ℙ𝕌𝔹 𝔻𝔸𝕋𝔼: 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟝, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘

Amazing, but exhausting.

Right away I'm going to tell you that this book is for people who love history, cultures, and who have the willingness and drive to learn the truth about Vikings. This is absolutely not the book for someone that thinks a viking is a fat singing guy with horns on his head at the opera, or who get misled with what I'll call the modern media version of Vikings we see in things like Assassins Creed: Valhalla and The Last Kingdom TV Show.

The intro gives us Neil's credentials but for those that want to know: "Neil Price is distinguished professor and chair of archaeology at Uppsala University, Sweden. He has been researching, teaching, and writing on the Vikings for nearly thirty-five years"

In other words, he is THE expert on all things Viking.

What I loved about this is that he constantly dispels our idea of who the vikings were. Sure, parts of their culture as represented today are true to form but the portrayals tend to disregard a lot of who they were and how they acted. He also takes a history is written by the winners approach to telling their story, constantly reminding us that a lot of their own texts are in existent and we developed our viewpoint based on the writings of their rivals and neighbors. I also liked how Neil talked about the Norse Mythology which a lot of us are familiar with but in a way that showed how it truly related to the Vikings themselves. These aren't just stories, they are beliefs.

Now, I am going through some personal stuff so although I found this book amazing and fascinating, I also found it really exhausting. I don't know if it's because of my own issues or because the book is extremely heavy with information. I would absolutely recommend this book, but would caution that you have to be really committed to it. I trust Neil with the Vikings the way I trust Zahi Hawass with the Egyptians.

This was a pleasure to read, it gave a very interesting peek into the "vikings" and how they have been portrayed. I was impressed with the writing and how much research the author obviously put in. I would recommend to anyone that likes reading about history and/or cultures.

Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price is a very highly recommended history and examination of the Viking Age, from 750 to 1050. This is a comprehensive history of the Vikings in which Price looks at who they really were as a people, how they viewed themselves rather than how other cultures defined them. They would not have recognized or identified themselves as "Vikings." In the past many histories that give a history of the Vikings view them through the eyes of another culture, and usually with the result of placing the contact culture in the positive light and the Vikings in a negative light. Price presents a more equitable picture. He draws on historical records, discoveries made at archaeological digs and burial sites across Europe, and the historical observations made by those who had contact with them at the time.

"The emphasis here is very firmly on who the Vikings really were, what made them tick, how they thought and felt. Their dramatic expansion will not be ignored, of course, but its context, its origins, are at the core of what follows. Where better to begin, then, than with the creation itself? The tale of the gods fashioning the first humans from stumps of wood, on the shores of the world ocean, has roots that extend very deeply into Norse mythology. For all the fearful confusion about their identity among those they encountered, in the Vikings’ own minds there was never any doubt at all: they were the children of Ash, the children of Elm."

The comprehensive history is divided into three parts.
"The first part explores this realm through the Vikings’ sense of self, and of their environment, and begins by delineating the contours of its landscape both on the ground and inside their heads. It explores their unique understandings of personhood, gender, and the place of the individual in the many dimensions of the cosmos. This also involves meeting the other beings with whom the Vikings shared these spaces."
"The second part goes back to the early 700s, but follows a different path to seek the major sociopolitical developments and demographic factors that slowly combined to trigger the Viking phenomenon itself. This was the time of the raids and their gradual escalation from isolated attacks to invasions of conquest, in the ever-present context of expanding trade networks. The maritime culture of Scandinavia, the rise of the sea-kings, and the development of uniquely mobile pirate polities are the focus here. The beginnings of the diaspora can be traced in all directions..."
"Part three moves the story to the mid-eleventh century, as the Viking phenomenon diversified across the northern world. Its consequences included an urban revolution in the Scandinavian economies and the reorganization of the countryside, paralleled by the consolidation of royal power and the rising influence of a new faith." Viking cities and power bases were established across the world at this time. The idea of separate identities of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden began and they started becoming a part of Christian Europe.

I have literally pages of notes from reading Children of Ash and Elm. Certainly I can't share everything, but I would encourage anyone who is interested in an equitable history of the Vikings to read Children of Ash and Elm. I was engrossed in the whole book and all the finds and research Price includes. It is a fascinating and extensive examination of the Vikings, children of the great ash tree Yggdrasill, their culture, explorations and sweeping travels. The final publication will include a 16 page color insert, maps, chapter notes, references, and index.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Basic Books.
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.