Westviking: The Ancient Norse in Greenland and North America

by Farley Mowat

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Step into the world of sagas, longships and enigmatic Norse explorers with Farley Mowat's captivating historical account, Westviking. The Viking sagas speak of a land called Vinland, a place of abundant resources and possibilities. Nearly a thousand years after the events those tales describe, Farley Mowat sets out to decipher these ancient accounts and trace their path along the rugged coastlines of the North Atlantic. In this celebrated classic first published in 1965, Mowat's immersive show more storytelling brings Viking culture to life as he tells the story of Viking settlement in Vinland--now thought to include areas of Newfoundland and New Brunswick--five hundred years before Christopher Columbus and John Cabot. With the vivid prose that made him a bestselling author and beloved storyteller, Mowat follows the stories of Norsemen like Erik the Red, Leif Erikson, Bjarni Herjolfsson and Thorfinn Karlsefni, unravelling their struggles and triumphs as they set sail for the uncharted waters of the New World--then face the challenges of a new and unfamiliar land. Meticulously researched and grippingly told, Mowat infuses his own adventurous spirit into the little-known story of the Viking culture that once took hold on the edges of North America. show less

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60+ Works 15,309 Members
Farley Mowat's nearly forty books have sold millions of copies & have been published in more than twenty languages. His books include "Never Cry Wolf", "Sea of Slaughter", "The Farfarers", "People of the Deer", "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be", "The Desperate People", & "Ordeal by Ice". (Publisher Provided) He is one of Canada's most popular & show more distinguished writers. Through the past five decades he has recorded his experiences in several highly successful books for both adults & children. He has received scores of literary awards & his works have been translated into more than 30 languages. (Publisher Provided) Farley Mowat was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada on May 12, 1921. During World War II, he fought in the Allied invasion of Sicily. He was discharged in 1945 with the rank of Captain. He studied at the University of Toronto. Farley was an author, activist, and environmentalist. He wrote more than 40 books during his lifetime including both novels and non-fiction works. His books include Never Cry Wolf, My Father's Son, Otherwise, and Eastern Passage. He received several awards including the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal in 1956, the Governor General's Award for Lost in the Barrens in 1956, the Leacock Medal for Humour for The Boat Who Wouldn't Float in 1970, and the Order of Canada in 1981. He died on May 6, 2014 at the age of 92. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

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Wheeler, Claire (Illustrator)

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title*
Westviking
Original title
Westviking
Original publication date
1965
People/Characters
Eric the Red; Leif Eriksson
Important places
Vinland; Greenland
Original language
English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction
DDC/MDS
973.13History & geographyHistory of North AmericaUnited StatesAmerica to 1607Viking - Norse
LCC
E105 .M89History of the United StatesAmericaDiscovery of America and early explorationsPre-Columbian period
BISAC

Statistics

Members
172
Popularity
190,907
Reviews
1
Rating
(4.17)
Languages
English, French, Polish
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
7
ASINs
10