Vikings [DVD]

Neil Oliver is passionate about history and archaeology and is a charming presenter, no doubt. As other reviews already mentioned, yes, he is jumping forth and back a lot but the Vikings covered a huge area and timeline and it is no easy feat to bring it all together. Unfortunately, with just one CD there is therefore only time for touching the surface of the Viking era. I was hoping for more details and insight. One thing amused and annoyed me at the same time: The cameraman seems somehow besotted with Mr Oliver. How else can it be explained that he took every opportunity to point the camera at the presenter with often only brief views of the artefacts? On some occasions the camera went in extreme close up of some interesting artefacts, going all blurry at the edges (I suppose to give the objects a mysterious look), but I found it hard to make out what the objects look like as a whole. And before you know it, the camera swings back to the presenter talking or posing. As handsome as Neil Oliver is, I would have preferred to see more of the artefacts and landscape! Ego boosting for him but annoying for the viewer.

This is entertaining and informative and presents a much more rounded view of the Vikings than just vicious aggressors. Their role in history is much more positive in terms of politics, trade and exploration.Highly recommended. Our 14 year old grandson loved it.

I bought this to watch after watching the excellent Ancient Britain series done by Neil Oliver expecting more of the same and a logical next step in history after the Romans. It was a little bit of a let down though. Don't know what it was but it just failed to grab my attention like the Ancient Britain series did and I found myself drifting away to my phone. It does jump around a little and dosn't make it easy for you following a natural timeline. I guess thats just how the Vikings were though. Kind of split up and doing their own things (North and South). You will learn a little and Neil Oliver is excellent as always but I simply got bored and watched it just to get to the other side so to speak. Sorry Neil, it's not you, maybe it's just the Vikings aren't as interesting as you think.

Once again Neil Oliver takes us for a tour through history. This time with the Vikings!The three part series gives great coverage of the Viking period from it's origins to it's final metamorphose and end. His coverage is extensive and informative and in all fairness very decent indeed. Living in Denmark, I was amused to see that there is a lot the locals have lost or forgotten from their history and from watching this series, I am able to draw lines between several cultural points I'd wondered about and their origins in the past.If you enjoy his other works, then you will enjoy his enthusiastic tour of the Viking world. Great stuff

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this DVD covered where the Vikings originated from and their lifestyles. It demonstrates how they traded around the Mediterranean and to the north of the American continent as well as the areas closer to home and agreed with the research of many others that they were ambitious and tenacious. Neil Oliver still talks in this DVD with the camera almost behind him but I didn't get bored at all with this DVD which comes in long chapters. I have recently read some well-researched fiction about the Vikings in the Med and this DVD agrees with all that was researched for that book.

Love the Vikings. History always being reassessed and Neil Oliver is my favourite presenter.

Simon Sebag Montefiore's presentation very informative

Neil Oliver is usually very informative, with a down-to-earth delivery style. Being a fellow Scot, with 18thC. ancestors in Orkney (with Scandinavian first names), I had a very high interest in the dvd. It is good enough, but I had expected more out of it all. There was a slightly annoying voiceover between Mr Oliver's descriptions which I felt was unnecessary.