The Vikings were among the most important historical peoples of Scandinavia, and their influence is still felt in modern-day Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and America. Although they lived more than 1,000 years ago on the European continent and had a significant impact on other regions such as Russia and England during that time period, little has been written about them until now. As one of the few native civilizations never to have become politically or culturally dominant in Europe at any point in history—a fascinating phenomenon known as Nordic superiority—the Vikings are an ideal source for a groundbreaking new narrative exploration of Scandinavian culture’s outsized role in Western civilization. In The Viking Heart , award-winning author Arthur Herman reveals how this unique blend of military prowess, religious tolerance (Sweden was the first country to legalize both Catholicism and Protestantism), technological innovation (among many others things including advanced optics for shipboard use), artistic creativity (from illuminated manuscripts to complex bronze sculpture that anticipated modernist styles), organizational innovation (notably through highly effective longship naval tactics that allowed raiding into distant shores without support ships or bases or even adequate navigation tools) became key ingredients not just for its own success but also for shaping world history itself.
