Book Description

University Press returns with three short and captivating books in one volume - a brief history of three Viking Warriors: Ragnar Lothbrok, Björn Ironside, and Ivar the Boneless. Book 1 - Ragnar Lothbrok Ragnar Lothbrok was a legendary Viking. A warrior king whose exploits in battle won him the fierce loyalty of his people (and the name "Shaggy-Breeches"), he and his armies sowed terror as they invaded their way across 9th-century Europe. The story of Ragnar Lothbrok's life emerges from the misty depths of the early Middle Ages in the form of a rich oral tradition of Norse legend. He may be remembered for plundering cities, but upon his death he left behind new trade routes throughout Europe and many sons who would carry on their father's traditions. Book 2 - Björn Ironside Björn Ironside was a legendary Norse warrior king. Stories handed down in oral tradition for centuries, and later recorded by monks, tell the tale of a powerful Viking who set out to conquer Rome. Björn Ironside was a member of a Viking family well-known for striking fear in the hearts of their enemies. Together with his father, Ragnar Lothbrok, and his brother, Ivar the Boneless, Björn Ironside ventured out to explore, trade, loot, and pillage on a global scale. Book 3 - Ivar the Boneless Ivar the Boneless was so frail that he could not even stand without somebody holding him up, and he had to be carried on a shield whenever he went into battle. Yet he went on to become one of the most feared Vikings in history. Ivar the Boneless led the Great Heathen Army on its conquest of England and ushered in an era of Viking domination over Britain that would last until long after his death. To the terrorized British, he was a pagan demon sent from hell. To the proud Vikings, he was a living god with supernatural powers. Each of these three books tells the intensely human story of a man who changed the world in a way that no one else could.