Price is meticulous and thorough in his history of the Vikings. Starting with the late Germanic Iron Age and Migration period, the book gives an excellent context and background for the Scandinavian people, following them into the Vikings Age to its end. Price pulls together a massive amount of archeology and theory to try to view the Vikings as people rather than the popular myths they've been reduced to. It's a dense but fascinating look at a people who traveled the world at a time when that was extremely dangerous. While the Vikings truly were a violent people, they were also key to connecting the world together, through both raiding and trading. This book was well worth my time and effort.