Reddit reviews The Long Ships (New York Review Books Classics)

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson.

I read "The Long Ships" in 1970 very good read, I think I will order it and read it again.
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Ships-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590173465/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485897030&sr=1-1&keywords=the+long+ships+by+frans+bengtsson

Now adays I go to archive.org and download Viking sagas also.

Okay, so, these are not all series, but are supposed to be really solid nonetheless.

Having said that, I'll start this off with something that actually is a series; the Oathsworn series, of which The Whale Road is the first installment.

Next we have the Saga of Eric Brighteyes, which, as that edition will not stop reminding you, was one of the books that inspired Tolkien.

Then there's Styrbiorn the Strong by E. R. Eddison, who you may know as the author of The Worm Ouroboros, another noted influence on Tolkien.

Poul Anderson was a rather prolific writer of Norse/viking inspired fiction during the 20th century, and his works include Hrolf Kraki's Saga, The Broken Sword, and War of the Gods among others. Note that these are historical fantasy, rather than purely historical though.

The Long Ships is supposed to be a particularly solid work, imitating the style of the sagas, and I'm personally biting to read it.

Speaking of the Sagas, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention them, since you didn't indicate that you've read them. The sagas, though old, are stories, rather than historical or religious texts. If you want actual viking books, you're not going to find any better than a proper translation of the sagas themselves. I'd recommend this one by Penguin Press.

I understand exactly what you mean. Seems to be the same books recommended over and over and over on here. Here is my recommendation for just an awesome book I rarely hear anyone talk about:


The Long Ships

http://www.amazon.com/Long-Ships-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590173465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377573684&sr=8-1&keywords=the+long+ships

I'm going to suggest The Long Ships

A lot of historical / historical adventure / Western novels that I've really enjoyed feel like genre SF adventure novels exploring unfamiliar settings but with no actual SF elements:

• Tom Holt The Walled Orchard (well, there's a tiny fantasy element)
  
• Frans Bengtsson, The Long Ships
  
• Rafael Sabatini, Captain Blood, The Sea-Hawk, Scaramouche, etc.
  
• Samuel Shellabarger, Captain from Castile and Prince of Foxes
  
• Owen Wister, The Virginian
  
• Charles Portis, True Grit
  
  See also actual historical narratives, particularly of contact between different cultures:
  
  
• Bernal Diaz del Castillo, The Conquest of New Spain
  
• Cabeza de Vaca, Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America

I read it in English, and a cursory Google search isn't giving me the translators name - I vaguely remember reading that it was re-translated at some point? Anyways, I read the edition that has an introduction by Michael Chabon. The language is WONDERFUL, it's one of the reasons that the book was so delightful to read. It's archaic and deftly used to paint both a visual and emotional landscape for the story. It was this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1590173465/

The Long Ships by Frans G Bengtsson would be amazing to see as an anime. It's the chronicles of a Swedish viking, who goes on a fantastic adventure around Europe.

The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold would also be interesting. It's a collection of stories about a growth-stunted guy who ends up running a mercenary space fleet.

The Long Ships is what you are looking for. It is a fantastic book.