Description

The story of the Norse Earls of Orkney, whose lands once covered much of Scotland, and whose reach extended as far as Scandinavia, continental Europe and even the Mediterranean.

Lords of the Salt Road reveals the dramatic history of the Norse earls of Orkney, who owed their allegiance to the Kings of Norway and ruled their own semi-autonomous empire with lands in mainland Scotland and the Western Isles. At their military height in the 11th century, they held a 400-mile swathe of territory, stretching from Shetland down to the Clyde Estuary.

Drawing on contemporary sagas as historical sources, and capturing some of their spellbinding narrative drive, renowned historian and Orkney native Angus Konstam describes how these Norse earls and their followers led Viking raids around the British Isles and even further afield. For over four centuries their warriors and longships battled alongside Scandinavian kings and Norse rebels, and as Norse kingmakers these warlike earls sometimes paid the ultimate price for dabbling in international affairs. They were the key players in Viking Britain.

Using a wide range of historical sources such as Celtic-Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon chronicles, this is a spellbinding tale of love, war, triumph, tragedy, treachery, murder, rebellion and greed.

Publisher Review

Lords of the Salt Road is an epic tale of murder, betrayal and revenge, Viking raids and pitched battles, spiced with love affairs and even a little poetry. A must-have for any Viking buff’s library. * Don Hollway, author of ‘The Last Viking’ * Angus Konstam skilfully navigates the salt road to bring you on a journey that spans five hundred years in the history of Orkney’s Norse Earls … it is a guaranteed page-turner that will hold you entranced. * Tom Muir MBE, author and storyteller * An exciting and often bloody tale, packed with as much scheming, sorcery, heroism, betrayal and revenge as several seasons of Game of Thrones. * Professor Peter Marshall FBA, University of Warwick, author of ‘Storm’s Edge’ * The book is engagingly and accessibly written * Undiscovered Scotland *