Gwyn Jones (1907–1999)

Se trata de un buen libro de visión general sobre lo que fue la historia de los vikingos, normandos o varegos, que de los tres modos se denominaron según la zona del extenso territorio por el que diseminaron sus correrías a lo largo de la Edad Media. Por lo que a lo más interesante para mí toca, se obvia su aventura ibérica, ya que la península les quedó vedada para poco más que el pillaje a escape, después de la batalla de Tablada (11 de noviembre de 844), que ni se cita en el libro. Decepciona un poco en este punto. Sin que se pueda negar el gran papel aglutinador que tuvieron en su tiempo, ni el terror que despertaban sus "raids", este episodio evidencia la gran leyenda que hay en torno los vikingos, la cual se reduce más todavía si se tiene en cuenta que el único rey que les opuso resistencia mediante una armada organizada en el Atlántico, el sajón Alfredo el Grande, consiguió salir con éxito en la empresa, y que tampoco lograban internarse en el Mediterráneo más allá de las puertas de Italia, donde empezaban a verse las galeras de Bizancio patrullando las aguas. De hecho, a Constantinopla llegaron por tierra (907), cruzando a lo largo de toda Rusia, y aun tardaron casi treinta años después de haber establecido una capital en Kiev.… (mer)

Some of the sagas in this collection really wouldn't have been out of place in Tolkein's [b:Unfinished Tales|797114|Unfinished Tales|J.R.R. Tolkien|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1207407366s/797114.jpg|2961645]. They read very much like rough early drafts of tales from Middle Earth.

The first few sagas drag somewhat. They mostly consist of vast genealogies (though apparently the translator Gwyn Jones removed some of the extraneous family-tree parts) and then a drawn out blood feud wherein two families will take it in turns avenging some crime that has long since been forgotten.

Amongst these is Eirik the Red, a saga famous for recording the settling of Greenland and an Icelandic expedition to North America; it's also a pretty good read.

The best saga is saved till last. King Hrolf and his Champions is by far the longest tale in the collection — albeit still only a hundred pages or so. But this is ample time to actually get involved in the story and allow it to build to a fine climax. The final battle in this saga that closes the book is both suitably epic in scale and surprisingly moving. A fine book overall.… (mer)

Some of the sagas in this collection really wouldn't have been out of place in Tolkein's [b:Unfinished Tales|797114|Unfinished Tales|J.R.R. Tolkien|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1207407366s/797114.jpg|2961645]. They read very much like rough early drafts of tales from Middle Earth.

The first few sagas drag somewhat. They mostly consist of vast genealogies (though apparently the translator Gwyn Jones removed some of the extraneous family-tree parts) and then a drawn out blood feud wherein two families will take it in turns avenging some crime that has long since been forgotten.

Amongst these is Eirik the Red, a saga famous for recording the settling of Greenland and an Icelandic expedition to North America; it's also a pretty good read.

The best saga is saved till last. King Hrolf and his Champions is by far the longest tale in the collection — albeit still only a hundred pages or so. But this is ample time to actually get involved in the story and allow it to build to a fine climax. The final battle in this saga that closes the book is both suitably epic in scale and surprisingly moving. A fine book overall.… (mer)