This book has been more than three years in the making, and many people have helped me along the way. I would in particular like to thank the team at Jonathan Cape who have done a fantastic job in bringing the book to publication: Dan Franklin, who believed in the idea enough to commission it and to wait with admirable patience for its completion; Caroline McArthur and Clare Bullock for their work in shaping the manuscript and Mandy Greenfield, whose astute copy-editing has immeasurably improved the raw material. Thanks also to Joe Burgis who so ably steered the paperback edition to completion. My gratitude is also due once again to Martin Brown, whose excellent cartography has produced maps that beautifully illustrate the sometimes confusing topography of the Viking World. And of course thanks to my wonderful agent, Gill Coleridge at RCW, and her assistant Cara Jones, whose advice and encouragement have, as ever, proved invaluable to the book.
A host of people assisted me during my various visits to parts of the Scandinavian world, and I am grateful for all the countless friendly welcomes and hospitality I received there. I would particularly like to thank Ragnhild Ljosland, Alexandra Sanmark and all the staff at the Centre for Nordic Studies of the University of the Highlands and Islands at Kirkwall, for enabling me to see so much of Orkney during a highly enjoyable week at their Viking Summer School on the island.
Any faults and omissions must remain the responsibility of the author, but I would like to thank all those who commented on the manuscript at various stages during the writing of the book, in particular Amanda Faber, whose suggestions on the very first draft improved it tremendously. Thanks also to Shane McCleod at the University of Stirling, whose expert eye pointed out many pitfalls and areas where my treatment of the subject had fallen short.
I would also like to thank (very belatedly) Richard Overy, whose generous encouragement set me along the path from editor to writer with my first book The Empire Stops Here and so, indirectly, is responsible for this one, too. I would also like to thank the staff at the London Library, a wonderful institution which provided the haven in which most of this book was written.
And finally, my heartfelt thanks go to my partner, Tania, who has had to put up with years of Viking-obsession on my part and my disappearances to far-flung parts of the Scandinavian world, and my daughter, Livia, who is never shy of pointing out the error of illustrations which portray the Vikings wearing horned helmets. Without their love and support, none of this would have been possible.