From costumes to professional football to a brand of high end ovens, "Vikings" have become a part of American pop culture. In "American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America," historian Martyn Whittock explains why actual vikings set sail, what they were after, and why the potential for myths to be handed down to future generations was so pervasive. He shows how sailors in the year 1000 left their homes to plunder and explore, all while shaping European and American history. He explains what he found about their earliest voyages to what would eventually be called North America. Since he has also studied Christianity extensively, Whittock also left us with a mission for how to approach the holiday season!

Martyn Whittock's social media page can be found at https://twitter.com/MartynHistorian

Information on "American Vikings" from Simon & Schuster can be found at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/American-Vikings/Martyn-Whittock/9781639365357

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