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Summary: Retracing an historic odyssey
Review: Leif Eriksson was a great explorer, traveling from Greenland to North America long before the time of Christopher Columbus. Eriksson and his Viking crew were the first known Europeans to set foot upon the North American Continent. More than a thousand years after Eriksson's time, a group of sailors and friends from Maine had the dream of recreating his voyage. "Viking Voyage" tells the story of that dreams realization. Using designs from Denmark and Greenland, an authentic Viking boat was built. The sailors from Maine were joined in their quest by crew members from Greenland and Denmark. The new Vikings set off on two voyages in 1997 and 1998, following the path of Eriksson from so long ago. They had to overcome many difficulties, and at one point faced the prospect of their boat beginning to fall apart in mid ocean. They journeyed through the often treacherous Artic waters between Greenland and Canada. They faced the same cold and misery that the Vikings of old had known. The crew also had moments of great exhilaration, and they began to think and feel in much the same way as the Vikings. Their voyage became not only a recreation of Eriksson's expedition, but an odyssey through time itself. "Viking Voyage" is richly illustrated with beautiful photographs, and it helps us to understand the Viking way of life. There is a special magic within this book: a magic of seeking and reaching for dreams.
Rating: 
Summary: Coffee table book with great pictures but nothing else
Review: This book gathers some magnificent pictures of the trip and its preparation. In particular, there are multiple images of bergs and growlers that are breathtaking.However, those of us interested in the story of the trip, its preparation, the re-creation of the ship, the research of the itinerary and, in general, in knowledge about either vikings' shipbuilding technology or seafaring will be greatly disappointed. The text provided in the book amounts to a few lines per page in very large font, and does not attempt to describe any of the research associated with this trip, or even any of the details of the trip itself. There is so little text across the whole book that it can be read in 10 to 15 minutes... If you intend to buy this book, be aware that this is a coffee table book: pictures only. I was interested in knowledge rather than photography - for me it was a total letdown.
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