The Vikings: Wolves of War. By Martin Arnold. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2007. Pp. xi +149. 10 maps; 11 illustrations. $72.

This slim volume provides a useful overview of the impact of the Viking expansion throughout Europe and beyond from its inception at the end of the eighth century through the following three centuries until the invaders had been absorbed in the native population or had met their demise. The gory subtitle (taken from the Anglo-Saxon poem "The Battle of Maldon") suggests that the author is most impressed by the Vikings' savagery, brutality, and destructive powers although he reluctantly also acknowledges their courage, bravery, and inquisitiveness. He has made an exhaustive search of archeological sources as well as of written evidence from all the areas the Vikings touched.

Jenny Jochens
Baltimore and Paris