Dimensions
130 x 197 x 19mm
A fascinating voyage around Scandinavia - from Viking past to volvo present. Spanning boatbuilding, drinking competitions, storms at sea, murder, kayaking and incredibly dangerous New Year fireworks, 'In Forkbeard's Wake' is at once history, travelogue, social commentary and ripping yarn.
Avenging the murder of his sister, Svein, Forkbeard invaded England in 1014 and became Britain's least known (and shortest reigning) king. Fascinated by his exploits and armed with a degree in heroic literature, Ben Nimmo decided to find his own inner Viking by reversing the steps of Forkbeard's journey. So he bought a steel ship and set out across the North Sea to the Baltic.
But Ben soon discovered that the blood-soaked poetry of the sagas by no means provided an infallible guide to present-day Scandinavia. And a varied cast of dentists and retired police chiefs, teachers, shopkeepers, lock-keepers, farmers, musicians, archaeologists, small children - and a dolphin - and some hair-raising adventures all combined to teach him unforgettable (often hilarious) lessons about the Norse mindset and history.