River Kings
A New History of Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads
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River Kings
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Narrated by:
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Cat Jarman
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By:
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Cat Jarman
About this listen
Follow bioarchaeologist Cat Jarman – and the cutting-edge forensic techniques central to her research – as she uncovers epic stories of the Viking age and follows a small ‘Carnelian’ bead found in a Viking grave in Derbyshire to its origins thousands of miles to the east in Gujarat.
‘This superb book is like a classical symphony, perfectly composed and exquisitely performed’ THE TIMES Books of the Year
Dr Cat Jarman is a bioarchaeologist, specialising in forensic techniques to research the paths of Vikings who came to rest in British soil. By examining teeth that are now over one thousand years old, she can determine childhood diet, and thereby where a person was likely born. With radiocarbon dating, she can ascertain a death date down to the range of a few years. And her research offers new visions of the likely roles of women and children in Viking culture.
In 2017, a carnelian bead came into her temporary possession. River Kings sees her trace its path back to eighth-century Baghdad and India, discovering along the way that the Vikings’ route was far more varied than we might think, that with them came people from the Middle East, not just Scandinavia, and that the reason for this unexpected integration between the Eastern and Western worlds may well have been a slave trade running through the Silk Road, and all the way to Britain.
Told as a riveting story of the Vikings and the methods we use to understand them, this is a major reassessment of the fierce, often-mythologised voyagers of the north, and of the global medieval world as we know it.
©2021 Cat Jarman (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
‘A masterly history … River Kings is a mystery and an adventure, the tale of a quest that took Jarman from Repton to Scandinavia, across the Baltic Sea, over to Baghdad and finally to India. I was held captive … In addition to being a wonderful writer, Jarman is a skilled bioarchaeologist … River Kings is like a classical symphony, perfectly composed and exquisitely performed. Tiny trills of detail give way to pounding drums of drama’
Gerard deGroot, Times
‘Cat Jarman will transform the way you think about the Vikings’ Dan Snow
'A bead was discovered in a Viking warrior’s grave, and that discovery led Cat Jarman on an amazing journey which is described in this extraordinary story. That bead, in Cat Jarman’s hands, taught me more about the Vikings than a score of history books. River Kings is an astonishing and compelling triumph!'
Bernard Cornwell
‘Will cast a spell on any reader who enjoys their history well-written and clearly argued. Just as Antony Beevor’s Stalingrad reminded us that the eastern front of WW2 was of far greater consequence than its western theatre, so Jarman shows how the westward trading and slaving voyages of the Vikings were only half the story. The real source of Viking wealth lay far to the east.’ William Dalrymple, FT
‘A thrilling read … Illuminates Viking culture in an utterly intriguing new light’
Charles Spencer
‘An extraordinarily imaginative conjuring of the Viking world … This is not archaeology as dry stones and bones, but as the lived lives of the people of the past brought to life with verve, style and sympathetic imagination. Beautifully written … You’ll never see the Viking Age in the same way again’
Michael Wood
What listeners say about River Kings
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 20-12-22
River Gods is so fascinating
I was wrapped up into the story of the head and the author’s experiences and travelled all over with her. I am impressed by our human endeavours and the stories that make up our lives. It is good to be reminded that there are many histories and many rivers.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kuma
- 24-06-22
An engaging, rigorous and exciting history
I really enjoyed this book. its rare to find a history that is at once so readable and yet so academically rigorous. Cat Jarman, writes a thoughtful and well considered, that challenges the reader's preconceptions of viking history and provides tremendous insight as to the latest research methods in archaeology.
I listened to it in just over day, a great sign of how compelling a work it is.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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- Pam Harper
- 26-11-21
Narration too fast ☹️
I found the subject matter fascinating but the narration is far too fast, meaning that names of people and places are skimmed over and not clear to a listener unfamiliar with them. There is nothing wrong with Ms Jarman's voice but it's just too fast.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mrs. K. Sowden
- 03-05-24
Fascinating
Really interesting story of the history of the vikings. Not just the ones that went West but those that went East. Also about women in the Viking era. Were there female viking warriors? Listen to find out.
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- Chris
- 13-01-22
Great book
This is a fabulous and well written introduction to a lot of concepts surrounding the Viking Age, beginning in western Europe and finishing at the eastern ends of Scandinavian influence. Dr Cat Jarman is an excellent writer and a brilliant archaeologist, who I hold in very high esteem. Her views on the Viking Age and early medieval period in general are modern and progressive, as well as thoughtful, often taking into account every reasonable perspective and with a full awareness of the limitations of sources, while also not falling victim to the kinds of assumptions that frequently plague writings on history and archaeology.
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- Aidan
- 18-07-21
Excellent History of the period
If like me you have watched the TV series Vikings you realise through this book that a lot of research went into it. This book has given me the clearest idea about the world and nature of the Vikings. Through its insightful and clear research a vivid of their world is created. The naration by the auther coveys her passion knowledge and enthusiasm for her subject making it a very engaging listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Stravaigin
- 08-05-21
A fascinating angle on the Vikings
This history will open your eyes and spark your imagination. You will travel further than you expect in the company of this very engaging and knowledgeable guide.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- RH2017
- 22-03-22
Fascinating, but...
I learned a lot from this book, many things about the Viking era I never knew. The only thing I found difficult was the speed of the author's delivery. It wasn't a relaxing listen as I was continually trying to take it all in! But her obvious knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject made me persevere.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Liam
- 18-04-21
Brilliant story of the Eastern travels of the Vikings, but also a wonderful insight into the state of the art of Archaeology
I listened to the audio book narrated by the author: it is a fascinating story, told by an engaging author who clearly loves archaeology. It also gives a great over-view of ancient DNA and the technology to analyse this, and other isotope techniques to tell the story of someone’s geographical origin.
I cannot rate this book highly enough.
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- Mgsblade
- 07-09-22
Supurb
this was a spectacular education in bioarchaeology and the history of the Vikings. Told in a very engaging and accessible manner can't wait for Cat's next book!
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