Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil S. Price

Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings

Author: Neil S. Price

Genre: Non-fiction

Format: Digital book (Kindle purchase)

Read: July 2022

Synopsis: Neil Price takes the common stereotypes of Vikings and confirms or refutes everything we think we know about Vikings. He touches on nearly every facet of Viking life from gender roles (and gender fluidity), polygeny, raids and exploration, paganism and the onslaught of Christianity, and community and the spread of traditional Viking genetics. Children of Ash and Elm is deeply rooted in scientific discovery and Price does an excellent job of noting where the anthropological community has solid evidence or where there’s more speculation than fact.

Likes: I loved how Price made subtle references to pop culture throughout this book. He hinted at shows like Vikings and even Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings. Many stories have characters or worlds inspired by Scandinavia and Vikings, so those connections were helpful to read to connect dots - or separate fact from fiction.

Comments: The only comment I have on this book is how slow and dry it got in places. During some of the chapters on Viking movement throughout Eurasia, I lost concentration. I also felt there was more detail than I (personally) wanted around the genetic connections between Vikings and modern-day Western Russians. It’s interesting, but the detail exceeded my interest in it. Otherwise, the book was awesome!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

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