The Last Viking tells the dramatic story of King Harald Hardrada
of Norway, one of the greatest warriors to have ever lived. Drawing on
original source material, Don Hollway recreates the violence and drama
of the late Viking era in a gripping chronicle that transports the
reader from the frozen wastelands of Scandinavia to the glittering
opulence of the Byzantine empire and then finally to a muddy field of
rural England.
King Harald III (called Hardrada, or "Hard Ruler") of Norway was a
real-life fantasy hero who burst into history as a teenaged youth in a
Viking battle, from which he escaped with little more than his life and
a thirst for vengeance. Journey with him across the medieval world, from
the frozen barrens of the North to the glittering towers of Byzantium
and the passions of the Holy Land. He'll fight for and against
Christian, Muslim and pagan rulers. He'll bed handmaids, a princess and
an empress alike, writing poetry and amassing a fortune along the way,
before returning home to claim his love, his crown and his destiny,
ultimately dying like a Viking: in battle, laughing, with sword in hand.
The Last Viking is a fast-moving narrative that reads like a novel,
combining Norse sagas, Byzantine accounts, Anglo Saxon chronicles, and
even King Harald's own verse and prose, into a single, compelling story.
While pointing out errors and contradictions in the ancient stories for
the sake of accuracy Don Hollway brings the true tale of this hero to
life.
