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Viking Warrior vs Anglo-Saxon Warrior: England 865–1066 (Combat) Paperback – August 22, 2017

by Gareth Williams (Author), Peter Dennis (Illustrator)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 116 ratings
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In the two centuries before the Norman invasion of England, Anglo-Saxon and Viking forces clashed repeatedly in battle, with mixed success for both sides. After the Vikings defeated three out of the four great Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and came close to defeating the fourth in the 860s and 870s, they conquered and settled large areas of England. The surviving West Saxon kingdom in turn conquered the Viking settlements in England to create the first unified English kingdom in the mid-10th century, before a new wave of Viking raids led to the Danish conquest of England in 1016. Fifty years later a Norwegian army sought to conquer England again, under the leadership of the celebrated Viking warrior Harald Hard-Counsel. His defeat at Stamford Bridge in 1066 is often seen as the end of the Viking age in England.

The two sides are seen as very different in popular perceptions, but how much are these differences based on fact, and how much on the bias of the surviving contemporary accounts and later historical traditions? And how far did the two sides learn from each other in the course of 200 years of conflict? Drawing upon historical accounts from both English and Scandinavian sources, and on archaeological evidence, Gareth Williams presents a detailed comparison of the weaponry, tactics, strategies and underlying military organization of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, and considers the developments which took place on both sides between the arrival of the Vikings' 'Great Raiding Army' in 865 and the battle of Stamford Bridge.

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Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Combat
  2. Print length
    80 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Osprey Publishing
  5. Publication date
    August 22, 2017
  6. Dimensions
    7.29 x 0.19 x 9.74 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1472818326
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1472818324
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

Combat Aircraft Series

battlescenes

Maps

Photographs

Full colour battlescenes

Beautifully illustrated battlescenes and split-screen artwork are included to bring the narrative of the conflict to life.

Maps

Detailed historical maps frame each battle or campaign, and provide the key historical context.

Photographs

Each volume features a wide range of photographs, which provide unparalleled detail of the uniforms and weaponry used by the combatants.

Combat Series Titles

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is also a great reference for the figure modeler for this era. The color plates provide a great depiction of the typical attire, as well as the weapons in use at the time. If you own one the previous releases in the Combat series, you know what you are getting. If this is your initial entry into this series, you will be quite pleased.” ―IPMS/USA

About the Author

Peter Dennis was inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn, leading him to study Illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing (August 22, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 80 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1472818326
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1472818324
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.29 x 0.19 x 9.74 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 116 ratings

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Gareth Williams

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
116 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Stone Dog
5.0 out of 5 stars A good summary of the English-Norse warfare.
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2017
Verified Purchase
This Osprey Combat series #27 "Viking Warrior versus Anglo-Saxon Warrior" by Gareth Williams focuses on the two-century contest between the established Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the Norse raiders-turned-conquerors from 865 AD to 1066 AD. It contains all the usual, excellent Osprey illustrations, photos and color plates.

The author begins with a brief introduction into the dawn of the Viking age when the first raiders came ashore at Lindisfarne and how the raids increased in size and intensity until they were in control of half of England. The author methodically recounts how the opposing sides recruited/marshaled forces, each side's leadership and organization, mobility and logistics, objectives and strategies and formations/tactics used on the battlefield. There are color plates which compare Viking and Anglo-Saxon weaponry and equipment.

Williams then analyzes three battles for which there is a good amount of written history. The author looks at the battles in as methodical a fashion as the comparison of the two sides. There are good maps showing movement for forces, there are summaries of the campaign and there is a good description of the course of the battle. The author gives a good interpretation of the period accounts. At the end, Williams offers his analysis and thoughts on the aftermath of the contest.

I was impressed by the way the author went about looking at both sides, their advantages and disadvantages. The two sides were very similar in terms of equipment and fighting style. The Anglo-Saxons created a more sophisticated governing system to best use resources, but Viking leadership tended to be better (naturally, since a raiding or invading band led by successful commanders attracted more recruits than less successful ones).

The singular advantage of this contest was the strategic mobility advantage of the Viking ships which could navigate across the North Sea and also make their way up rivers. They could literally appear out of nowhere to raid a monastery or take a town intact before most local defense forces could react. To be noted, the more successful Anglo-Saxon leaders such as Alfred the Great created navies of their own.

This is a good, short work on the subject, lavishly illustrated with excellent research. If there's anything that gave me cause to question, it was the presentation of the "shield wall" as a phalanx-like, formal formation where individual members "locked shields" like the Greek phalanx. Nonetheless, this is a really good summary on the subject in an accessible and visually impressive package.
12 people found this helpful
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Student
4.0 out of 5 stars Good work, for what it covers
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
Good work, for what it covers. It doesn't go much into the history of the conflicts, focusing mainly on the men and their weaponry. The Vikings and Anglo-Saxons were more evenly matched than I had thought, and the Anglo-Saxons actually held their own in many battles. Plenty of illustrations and photographs. Decent part of the series that makes me want to read more of them.
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John Mottar
5.0 out of 5 stars Era of the Shield Wall
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2017
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Extremely well done. Explains the use of the shield wall in these battles. Vikings usually won during the period covered in this book. Made me want to buy more books in the Osprey Combat series. Have not been disappointed.
2 people found this helpful
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Lester A. Tockerman
5.0 out of 5 stars The title tells the books subject.
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2018
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Like all of the books recently purchased, I find the illustrations and photos of great use. Lester
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Something missing.
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
The edition I received had blanks where illustrations should have appeared and much of the text was inconclusive speculation. It wasn't the definitive work I had hoped for.
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Mark Daley
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Small Book, Filled With Info
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018
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Book was very informative. It answered many questions I had about that time in history.
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William Harris
4.0 out of 5 stars This book was good and if you like it you could go on ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book was good and if you like it you could go on to other historical books that can be specific on other related subjects.
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Keith
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
Great book. Not very big, but good info and good pics.
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Jorge Arturo Valles Teruel
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesante
Reviewed in Mexico on December 30, 2020
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Interesante
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joachim liebers
5.0 out of 5 stars Guter Vergleich
Reviewed in Germany on April 29, 2020
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guter geschichtlicher Vergleich
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D. Hope
3.0 out of 5 stars Some Useful Information, But Some Problems
Reviewed in Canada on September 4, 2017
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This book gives a considerable amount of good information on England's Viking wars, and it is well illustrated. One of its strengths is that it makes it clear that these wars were fought by substantial forces, rather than by small bands. However there are some questions that it either doesn't answer, or, I believe, answers incorrectly. Probably the most basic question that has to be addressed is why England was more vulnerable to the Vikings than other countries for much of the period, but was less vulnerable than many others while King Alfred's military reforms were in effect. I believe that the main problem lay in the mobilization system, and the percentage of men expected to fight, but don't understand the details. It would be too much to expect a solution, but the author doesn't explore the problem.

The author characterizes the Viking armies as being collections of small bands, and as being incapable of proper coordination in battle because of this. He contrasts this with the good coordination of the Anglo-Saxons under the command of their kings. This is wrong, however, because not only were the Viking armies also lead by kings, but they were noted for their use of sophisticated stratagems, that called for discipline and coordination.

With regard to the battle of Maldon, the author does well to make it clear that there was a good reason for Bryhtnoth to accept battle with the Vikings, even if that meant allowing them to cross the tidal causeway. However, he fails to understand how the shield wall tactics, that both sides used, worked, and how the single combats and combats between small groups, described in the poem on the battle, fitted in with those tactics. Murray Dahm has explained this well in Medieval Warfare VOL V, ISSUE 1, but the author gives an inaccurate description of the tactics actually used, and when this isn't compatible with the poem's account, he dismisses this as unreliable. However, I believe that the poem is not only reliable on this point, but that it is a very valuable piece of evidence.

So there is some useful information in this book, but there is also great room for improvement.
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npr
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book. Part of a wider series and on ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2017
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An excellent book. Part of a wider series and on the strength of this one I'll definitely be getting more. I must admit I wasn't impressed by the cover (it looks somewhat childish and is different to that displayed on Amazon), but the contents more than make up for it - shades of don't judge a book by its cover! The author Gareth Williams, is curator of the British museum and he definitively knows his 'stuff' and conveys it in an interesting and easily read way. Good battles details, and well laid out. Definitively pleased
4 people found this helpful
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Mr. A. J. Ralston
4.0 out of 5 stars Historical Facts
Reviewed in Australia on January 30, 2020
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This book is full of historical fact backed up with details from historical writers from the past long with some great photos of weapons used. The author goes to great length to explain details at times, making for some very detailed reading.
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