POCKET MUSEUM: VIKINGS

The culture of the Viking world speaks of both violence and of beauty. This extensively illustrated volume brings together nearly 200 carefully chosen artifacts that reflect the art and daily life of Viking-Age Europe and the North Atlantic. It includes both iconic items and finds from recent excavations, providing a visual guide to the early-medieval Scandinavian world. Highlights include Norway's famous ship burials like the Oseberg, the only complete example of a Viking helmet, the exceptional collection of silver items in the Spillings Horde and the treasures looted from the monasteries of Britain, Ireland, and continental Europe. Equally important are the less familiar fragments of everyday life: a brooch, a tiny Valkyrie pendant, a padlock, sword, the Gokstad ship with the body of a 40 year old man well-preserved with his 60 swords, 40 horses, eight dogs, two goshawks and two peacocks, simple wooden panpipes, a woollen sock, even a loaf of bread. The juxtaposition of the outstanding and the everyday makes this volume unique in its field. Featuring sumptuous close-up photographs to best showcase its comprehensive collection of exquisite artifacts. Heavyweight Thames& Hudson paperback, 288 pages.