Snorri Sturluson
Two Viking kings pursue power across a world where lineage, loyalty and belief can decide the fate of a realm. These linked Norse saga narratives combine royal biography with historical fiction, setting the authority of rulers against dynastic rivalry, warfare and the demands of reputation. Prose accounts of voyages, councils and combat are interspersed with skaldic verse, preserving the public language through which courage and conquest are remembered.Olaf Tryggvason’s story begins under the shadow of royal danger: driven into flight during childhood and enslaved, he later rises towards the Norwegian kingship. His struggle brings seafaring adventure into collision with political alliance and forceful Christianisation, as inherited claims and religious power reshape royal rule. Detailed ships and battles stand beside genealogy, court politics and supernatural omens, creating a narrative in which military action is inseparable from the making of authority.Harald Haardraade’s career widens the saga’s reach from fugitive prince to commander, Mediterranean campaigner, king and invader. Service among the Varangians in Constantinople places him amid distant courts and campaigns before ambition draws him back into northern contests for sovereignty. Across both narratives, rulers are measured by deeds, allegiances and the stories carried after them; verse sharpens moments of conflict while prose traces the intricate bonds between warriors, dynasties and faith. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions.It has been restored for today’s and future generations.This edition is not just a reprint - it’s a collector’s item and a cultural treasure.
