In Irish history the Vikings are often seen merely as attackers. Morgan Llywelyn gives a fascinating account of the wider picture - how the Vikings significantly influenced Irish art and trade and the growth of towns and cities. We witness their first landing as a raiding party, through to their settlement and gradual merging with the Irish by intermarriage and trade. She explores the customs and traditions as well as the arts and crafts which have become part of the Irish way of life. Cameos of the lives of individual Vikings, some real, some fictitious, bring a liveliness and freshness to the retelling of events which only an author of historical fiction can achieve. Authentic drawings as well as photographs of excavations and artefacts support the text.