Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Embers of the Hands:
Vikings: They’re just like us!
Quick synopsis:
A look at the everyday lives of Vikings.
Fact for Non-History People:
Vikings were actually relatively clean people especially when it came to their hair.
Fact for History Nerds:
Most Viking boots were made of goatskin.
My Take on Embers of the Hands:
As an avid history lover, I recognize the vital role archaeology plays in illuminating stories which can’t be found in books. That said, books which rely extensively on archaeology generally bore me to tears. It’s nothing personal, but I just find it hard to get emotionally invested when there isn’t a fully fleshed out story I can connect with. At least, this was true until I read Embers of the Hands (even my 10-year-old thought this is an awesome title!) by Eleanor Barraclough.
Barraclough combines two powerful forces in this book. The first is extensive research with a clear intent. Barraclough is telling the story of everyday Vikings/Northmen/Norsemen/take your pick. Yes, you will get famous Vikings like Erik the Red mentioned, but Barraclough quickly moves on from the big names to look at a board game a farmer might play on those bitterly cold nights in Greenland. Yes, with many books of this ilk, there are holes in the story because we will just never know. However, Barraclough sidesteps this issue with a secret weapon.
The second powerful force and secret weapon is unbridled fun! Yes, I said fun. Barraclough’s passion for the material is palpable. She’s also wickedly funny. Here’s a random snippet with no context:
“More likely they were thinking ‘my head hurts, how do I get rid of those bloody dwarves’.”
Not enough? Okay, one more.
“He came from a long line of individuals with excellent nicknames, being the grandchild of Bjorn Butter-Box, the great-grandchild Hroald Spine, the great-great-grandchild of Bjorn Ironside, and the great-great-great-grandchild of Ragnar Hairy-Breeches.”
Seriously, don’t you want an author who provides you with this type of literary gold while also telling you about the largest frozen human poo ever found? (Not an invented example, that is actually in this book.)
In the end, what you are left with is a book stuffed to the gills with interesting facts and an author who loves the material while also having fun. I don’t see a way this could have been done any better.
(This book was provided as a review copy by the W.W. Norton.)
Verdict:
One of the best of the year. Buy it here!
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