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865 A.D. Warring kings rule over the British Isles, but the Church rules over the kings, threatening all who oppose them with damnation. Only the dreaded Vikings of Scandinavia do not fear the priests. Shef, the bastard son of a Norse raider and a captive English lady, is torn by divided loyalties and driven by strange visions that seem to come from Odin himself. A smith and warrior, he alone dares to imagine new weapons and tactics with which to carve out a kingdom--and launch an all-out show more war between...."The Hammer and the Cross." show lessTags
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Member Reviews
I had to put this book down. I read about 150 pages but the book did not really engage my interest. I thought it was an alternate history book but it was more fantasy than alternate history and the injection of religion is not something I like to read in general.
I gave it 3 stars though as it is not badly written and someone who likes fantasy, lots of short fighting scenes and viking myth might like this book.
I like Harry Harrison in general but not this particular book.
I gave it 3 stars though as it is not badly written and someone who likes fantasy, lots of short fighting scenes and viking myth might like this book.
I like Harry Harrison in general but not this particular book.
An enjoyable read with some interesting characters in it. All-in-all I enjoyed this book though there was little that really stood out for me. Particularly enjoyed the engagement with the Norse mythology, didn't enjoy the mixture of religion and empiricism.
Fabulous book, fabulous series, some of the best alternate reality I've ever read, HIGHLY recommended.
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Author Information
439+ Works 44,280 Members
Harry Harrison was born Henry Maxwell Dempsey on March 12, 1925 in Stamford, Connecticut. He was drafted into the U. S. Air Corps in 1943 and became a sharpshooter, a military policeman, a gunnery instructor, and a specialist in the prototypes of computer-guided bomb-sights and gun turrets. After being discharged, he graduated from Hunter College show more with a degree in art. By the end of the 1940s, he was running a small studio that specialized in selling illustrations to comics and science-fiction magazines. He then moved on to editing some of the magazines. As the market for comics began to shrink, he started writing for science-fiction magazines. He wrote short science fiction stories and novels including Deathworld, Captive Universe, Montezuma's Revenge, Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers, Stonehenge, West of Eden, Stars and Stripes Forever. He also wrote the Stainless Steel Rat series and the Bill, the Galactic Hero series. His novel Make Room! Make Room! Was the inspiration for the movie Soylent Green. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Hank Dempsey, Felix Boyd, Wade Kaempfert, Cameron Hall, Philip St. John, and Leslie Charteris. He died on August 15, 2012 at the age of 87. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Hammer and the Cross
- Original title
- The Hammer and the Cross
- Alternate titles*
- Die Söhne des Wanderers
- Original publication date
- 1993-09
- People/Characters
- Shef; Godive; Hund; Thorvin; Brand; Sigvarth (show all 10); Sigurth "Snakeeye" Ragnarsson; Ivar "the Boneless" Ragnarsson; Cuthred; Erkenbert
- Important places
- Eoforwich, North Yorkshire, England, UK (Anglian name for York); Jóvrvík (Danelaw); York, North Yorkshire, England, UK
- Epigraph
- Qui credit in Filium, habet vitam aeternam:
qui autem incredulus est Filio,
non videbit vitam, sed ira Dei manet super eum.
He that believeth on the Son hath everylasting life:
and he that believeth not the ... (show all)Son shall not see life:
but the wrath of God Abideth on him.
~ JOhn 3:36
Angusta est domus: utrosque tener non poterit. Non vult rex celestis cum paganis et perditis nonintenus regibus caelis, ille paganus perditus plangit in inferno.
The house is narrow: it cannot hold both. The king of he... (show all)aven has no wish to have fellowship with damned and heathen so-called kings; for the one eternal king reigns in Heaven, the other damned heathen groans in Hell.
~Alcuin, deacon of York, 797AD
Gravissima calamitas umquam supra Occidentem accidens erat religo Christiana
The greatest disaster ever to befall the West was Christianity
~ Gore Vidal, 1987AD - First words
- Spring.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)For the first time in his entire life he felt at peace.
- Blurbers
- Anthony, Piers; Pohl, Frederik
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PS3558 .A667 .H35 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1961-
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 500
- Popularity
- 59,904
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.82)
- Languages
- Czech, English, German, Polish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
- ASINs
- 3
