Viking Great Army and the Making of England

Who were the Viking Great Army and what was their lasting impact on Britain? This is the definitive account of the notorious Viking Great Army that swept through Britain between AD 865 and 880, fundamentally reshaping its political, economic and social landscape and ultimately helping to ‘make a nation’.

Viking raids previously had been coastal hit-and-run affairs, but this period saw a change in tactics. While raids on the British Isles had begun in the 790s as a quest for wealth in the form of silver and slaves, by the 860s and 870s the aims of Viking armies had shifted to land seizure and political conquest. This critical period for British history led to revolutionary changes in land ownership, society and industry.

Table of Contents

Prologue Heroes and Villains • Part I: The Vikings and their World: 1. The Viking Age; 2. The Raids Begin • Part II: The Viking Great Army: 3. A Pivotal Decade; 4. The Winter of AD 872–3 and the Camp at Torksey; 5. Beyond the Winter Camps; 6. The Army’s Dead; 7. Proceeding to Plough and Support Themselves; 8. York and the Viking Camp at Aldwark 200 • Part III: The Making of a Nation: 9. Wessex Fights Back and the Origins of England; 10 The First Industrial Revolution • Epilogue: Immigrants and Artisans