Gwyn Jones here gives us his very smooth and stylish translations of some of the lesser, and lesser known, sagas in the Icelandic literary opus. From the title piece, "Eirik the Red's Saga", to his rendering of the Hrolf Kraki saga, these are all nicely wrought translations of some of the smaller gems in the old Norse literary tradition. Among my favorites are "The Vapnfjordmen" and the "Tale of Spike Helgi". These brilliantly demonstrate, in spare saga style, the way in which the best of these old Norse works capture and crystallize real people through an archaic and slightly clouded lense. But the images shining through are starkly real and resonate with our modern sensibility in a way which is surprising for such medieval fare. Of course, the title piece and the Hrolf Kraki piece which end the book go to the other extreme: the realm of legend and fantasy. Modern scholars tend to believe that the "Greenlanders' Saga" is an older and more reliable tale concerning the Norse excursions to Vinland than is the "Eirik's Saga" (this book's title piece) though "Eirik's Saga" is richer, by far, in literary motifs and more rife with fantastic elements, while yet being more literary overall than the plainer, sparer "Geenlanders' Saga" (which Jones did not choose to include here). And few will dispute that Hrolf Kraki's tale, this book's end-piece, is mainly one of myth and legend, albeit an exciting and well-told tale in its own right. In sum, Jones selected the most literary of the smaller sagas for this work, sandwiching in between two more legendary pieces, some more solidly realistic tales. But all with sufficient literary merit to warrant inclusion here. A nicely done collection for the saga aficionado!

An excellent book for anyone interested in the Norse explorations of the North Atlantic: Iceland, Greenland, and Vinland. Jones not only gives a good history, still relevant despite the 1964 copyright, but gives the latter half of the book over to English translations of the original sources: The Book of the Icelanders, The Book of the Settlements, The Greenlanders' Saga, Eirik the Red's Saga, Karlsefni's Voyage to Vinland, and The Story of Einar Sokkason.

It is indeed tragic that so little of Lewis' work is currently in print. Lewis was a gifted playwright, poet, Catholic apologist and Welsh Nationalist who wrote in Welsh. Pritchard-Jones' selection captures this multi-faceted writer brilliantly. The book really conveys a sense of the full vision and scope of Lewis' artistry and social conscience. The poetry is brilliant and deeply evocative. The theatre pieces are poetry in themselves. Unfortunately, this makes it all the more lamentable that Lewis' genius is not more readily available to a wider audience. Lewis' influences range from Pascal to Beckett to Medieval Welsh Poetry. This is a truly fantastic and rewarding book. I highly recommend it. IF YOU ONLY READ ONE BOOK THIS SUMMER... (sorry, couldn't resist that)... This is a truly wonderful effort. Thank you Harri Pritchard-Jones for your work in compiling it.

This book is a collection of some of the best-preserved, non-Irish Celtic stories, which makes it a valuable resource for anyone studying Celtic literature and culture. Not only that, but the stories are wonderful! The Guide to Welsh Pronounciation was excellent, making it easier to read names like Blodeuwedd or Yspaddaden.

To be honest, this reviewer who studied classic literature in several college classes never heard of this Welsh anthology collected during the fourteenth century. The book contains eleven tales translated into English short stories that link Welsh myths and medieval life in Wales with a world of fantasy. Fans of King Arthur (who appears in several tales) or Beowulf will fully enjoy the tales that divide into three sections with each one very colorful while providing the life of a bygone era by bards of a later but also bygone period. Different, but quite good for readers who enjoy Celtic legends. THE MABINOGION will definitely entertain this select audience.

Harriet Klausner

This book is absolutely necessary if you want to learn more about the Welsh through literature. Writers like J.R.R. Tolkien and Lloyd Alexander have drawn inspiration from this ancient classic. With this translation and edition, you also get some of the oldest Arthurian Romances. Order it now!

I hated history in highschool (could be because the history teacher was fore-mostly the football coach) but found that as an adult I have a passion for it - ancient history, that is. However, this book was my first foray into the realm of history since that time oh so long ago. I was bedazzled with the thought of glorious battles and windy voyages at sea - and as I am mainly a fiction reader, I was unprepared for the sheer amount of _detail_ included in this book. I have found, that while it is very interesting - Gwyn Jones packs SO much information onto each page that I can hardly read more than 10 or so pages at a sitting before I need a breather - unusual for me, as I usually will finish a book in a couple of days. So while the content is well thought out and presented, if you are only a casual reader, perhaps you should get a bit more background on the Viking people first, and THEN attempt to slog through this one. (In either case, I _do_ recommend it!)

A clearly written, well-organized review of the full range of Viking history, from dim origins to far flung diaspora, to gradual fade. The story of the Greenland colony's disappearance is bone-chilling: like a subtle horror story, or a disturbing anxiety dream about neglect and loss. The mystery of it, and the other-worldly setting, raised the hairs on my spine. The book is an ample exploration of the entire gamut of Viking history, and strives to redress some of the demonization that has traditionally beset Vikings in history, presenting the archaeological evidence (such as it was in the late 60's--which is to say, not bad) alongside the contemporary accounts (including the fascinating diary entries of Arab travelers). Much of Viking history is a puzzle, so one must bear with some of the writer's detective work regarding placenames, dates, saga deconstruction and principal actors; but it helps to know the basis of the author's conclusions--where the firm ground is, and which claims are more or less tacit. The footnotes and bibliography are extensive and helpful.

For me, Gwyn Jones's 'History of the Vikings' is, quite simply, far and away the best single-volume work on this subject in the English language. It first appeared back in 1968 (I first read it in the early 1970s), but has been repeatedly updated in the light of new scholarship and, unlike many works of that vintage, still reads as freshly as when it was first published.

The scope is comprehensive. He starts the story with the earliest references to Scandinavia in Greek and Roman literature (the Scandinavians didn't start writing their own history until well after the Viking period) and carries it right through to the defeat of the last Viking invasion of England in 1066. The start point couldn't be set earlier; the end point is perhaps a little arbitrary (anyone who has read Orkneyinga Saga knows there were still people around in the 12th century AD who hadn't heard the Viking age was over), but you've got to draw a line somewhere. Geographically, he covers the full sweep of the Viking world, from Newfoundland to the Volga and all points between. Unlike many writers, who treat the Viking phenomenon largely from the viewpoint of the people they attacked, he gives full weight to the Vikings at home and to the slow and painful integration of the Scandinavian homelands into more or less (often less) unified kingdoms.

Like all serious modern Viking scholars, he is healthily sceptical about the saga and legendary sources, but he uses infinite care and judgement in extracting the sparse grains of historical fact from them. He makes skilful use of the remarkable range of material from the Vikings' neighbours: monastic chronicles from Western Europe and Russia; King Alfred's debriefing of a visiting Norwegian merchant; the Byzantine Emperor's strategic review of his northern borders; and - most surprising to the newcomer in the field - the several surviving reports by Arab diplomats. He has also taken full advantage of the advances in Viking archaeology over the last 35 years. It is salutary to remember that back in the 1960s there was by no means complete acceptance of the Anse aux Meadows site in Newfoundland as Viking.

The treatment is largely narrative, but it never degenerates into a relentless chronological grind because he pauses from time to time to insert thematic chapters covering matters like ecology, ethnography, ships, navigation, and so on, and he alternates the viewpoint between the Scandinavian homelands and the Viking movements overseas, both peaceful and warlike. Also, while pursuing broad trends and root causes with scholarly acumen, he clearly relishes the personalities in Viking history, from the legendary King Dag ("unlikely death of an unlikely king" says the index entry), via Gunnhild Mother of Kings ("a famous but somewhat fictitious northern lady"), to Harald Hardradi, last and greatest of them all - warrior in Russia, captain of the Varangian Guard at Byzantium, and King of Norway, whose claim to England (the unreliable legend says) won him only seven feet of ground - "because he is taller than other men".

Jones expects from his readers the same intelligence and interest that he deployed in writing his book. He makes no compromises on coverage or on the level of debate, so the book is factually dense (or factually rich, as I prefer to see it) and closely argued, but it is never a heavy read. His style comes out of the heart of the Welsh way with English - immensely fluent, allusive, full of cross-cultural reference and the occasional sly aside. If you like that sort of thing (and I do - it must be the genes from my own Welsh grandmother) it is a huge source of entertainment, over and above the purely factual richness of the book. On the other hand, it may be a time-waster for those who don't catch the references - for example, you won't understand Jones's sly little comment on Al-Tartushi's description of Danish singing unless you know that the Welsh have a certain conceit of their own ability in the matter. But it's a great read anyway!