Weapons of the Viking Warrior

Between the late 8th and late
11th century Viking warriors had a massive impact not just in northern
Europe, but across a huge arc from the western Mediterranean round
through northern Europe and the Baltic to the Middle East and Central
Asia. Their success depended in part on their skills in battle, their
unique sense of strategic mobility, and on the quality of their weapons
and equipment. Written by an expert on early medieval weaponry, this
book examines the weapons of the typical Viking warrior, dispels some of
the myths of the popular image, such as double-headed axes, and
considers the range of weapons that actually underpinned the Vikings'
success including bows and arrows.
Drawing upon contemporary
literary and historical accounts from the North Atlantic to the Arab
world, surviving examples of weapons and armour, and practical
experimentation and reconstructions by modern weapon-smiths and
re-enactors, this study casts new light on how Viking weapons were made
and used in battle.