Includes index.

For more than two hundred years, during the Vikings' heyday, all Europe shivered in fear at their terrifying approach. This lavishly illustrated and interactive book explains why. It illuminates every aspect of Viking history and culture, from their legends and lore to their journeys of exploration and their discovery of America five hundred years before Columbus. Features authentic Norse design motifs and gatefolds of a Viking map, a cut-through illustration of a longship, a depiction of the Bayeux tapestry showing the Normans attacking England, five embossed Runestone concertina "booklets," and accounts of Viking legends re-imagined by some of Europe's premier fantasy artists. Discover who the Vikings were, why they left their homeland, how they waged war, and what weapons they used.