Vikings

"At the turn of the first millennium, the Vikings swept through Anglo-Saxon England, fierce, unexpected and unstoppable. Plundering, not only monasteries and cathedrals, but the very underpinnings of a fragile culture, they ran unchecked by military might and a church in decline - until three centuries later, when King Alfred arose to unite the Anglo-Saxon empire. Under his reign, the marauders were quelled, a new age of learning came to England, and through the influence of one of their own chieftains, King Canute, many Vikings were converted to Christianity and to English laws and ways. Here is a fascinating look at England's mysterious Viking era - a colourful and evocative time of Dark-Ages fear, fighting faith and cloak-and-dagger subterfuge; an age when warriors were sanctified, kings were martyred and barbarian overlords were humbled before the cross of Christ. Rich in imagery, this book will stir the imagination and inform both the head and the heart." --Back cover.