Dark Age naval power - John Haywood

"Dark Age Naval Power" offers a re-assessment of the evidence for Germanic seafaring before the Viking Age. The book questions many of the pillars of current archaeological orthodoxy - in particular, the assumption that the Vikings were unprecedented seafaring pioneers. As Haywood asserts, Germanic naval activity can be traced almost to the dawn of the recorded history of barbarian Europe.;Demonstrating that an excessive concentration on ship-finds and a reluctance to cross historical boundaries has resulted in a distorted view of early Germanic seafaring, Haywood aims to present a more balanced original approach to the subject based on a synthesis of relatively neglected literary sources and archaeological evidence. It is shown that the enterprise and competence of pre-Viking seafarers has been underestimated and due prominence is given to the impressive maritime achievements of the Franks from the third century AD to the Carolingian period.;This book should be of interest to students and teachers of archaeology, ancient history and classics.