Have a question or a comment about the Strongbow Saga or Judson Roberts’ other work? Want chat with other readers about the books or related subjects? Post here and look for responses from the author and other fans of the series.
Have a question or a comment about the Strongbow Saga or Judson Roberts’ other work? Want chat with other readers about the books or related subjects? Post here and look for responses from the author and other fans of the series.
Judson I hope someone didn’t already say this and I’m sorry if someone did but I really really think you should contact someone to make a movie on this book! It’s my favorite because it’s action packed, it has great vocabulary, and though I don’t like reading your books make me want to read! Please make a movie!
Thanks, Sean. If I had about $100 million to spend, I would. 🙂 It takes an established producer with a source of funding to get almost any movie project undertaken–they’re horribly expensive. I keep hoping, though!
There was a new show on television here in Australia, about vikings. It doesn’t say where it is, but from the scenery I would believe Norway. On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikings_(TV_series), it says that it is based on the tales of Ragnar Lodbrod. I recommend it, however in Australia it is rated MA 15+, which means it is recommended that you are 15 years or older to watch it. It is set around 743 AD, I think it was. It is actually really interesting and I think you’d maybe like it.
Thanks–but see my problem with it, below.
When is The Long Hubt coming out? I have loved the series and am really excited for the next book
By the end of the year. I’ll finish the first draft this week, but finalizing it–rereading, making revisions, getting feedback from my volunteer editors–will take at least another month, if not longer, and then the book will have to be formatted for its e-book and print versions, which will also take at least a month. Producing a book takes time, even after the writing is finished. The big traditional publishers usually take a year to complete that process.
There is currently a really good television show as well called Vikings
I’ve heard it is entertaining, but also that it is full of historical inaccuracies. I’m afraid I’d have a hard time getting past them.
Woops, sorry about the double post, I didn’t see this one. Yeah, that’s a shame, I’m not too sure about what is right historically, but yeah that would ruin it a bit. It does however give you a look at just how ruthless and merciless the Vikings were.
Dang! Well keep at it. I’ve bought all of ur books (twice cuz I lost the first set in a move). Is the long hunt going to wrap up the series?
I’m planning one more novel in the Strongbow Saga series after The Long Hunt, plus there will be The Beast of Dublin, which takes place before the Strongbow Saga begins. After that…we’ll see what happens.
Dear mr. Roberts
First of all woop for moving to Oregon it’s awesome here. Second of all when!!! Is the long hunt coming out? I can’t wait! Plz give definite date soon! Oh and keep it wierd.
Thanks, Mark. I don’t have any kind of precise date yet. The writing is coming along steadily, albeit–as always–somewhat more slowly than I’d like. Later this year still seems like a safe prediction for when book 4 will come out, but I still can’t be more precise than that.
Book 4 has a classic three act structure, and I recently finished writing the climactic scene–a sea battle–of act two. The writing process itself can sometimes generate unexpected delays. I start a book with a rough outline of the story in my head, but not infrequently (as happened with the battle scene I’m now wrapping up work on, which ended up taking weeks to write) when I’m in the midst of a part of the story, I realize that my original plan doesn’t work, or doesn’t ring true at all, which means I then have to rethink where the story goes next. That kind of unplanned change obviously can slow progress, but I think the end result is much better than just sticking with a preplanned outline for the sake of speed.
Mr. Roberts,
I’m hoping you can settle a point of contention between my friend and I. In History Channel’s Vikings, there is a group of female warriors known as shield maidens, who in the show’s mythology, fight alongside the men in the shield wall and go on raids with them. My friend and I disagree on whether this is historically accurate or just political correctness on the show’s part. Aside from expedition intent on settling new lands, did Viking women participate in raids or battle?
Thanks,
Rebecca
Hello Rebecca,
I’ve done a LOT of research over many years, and have never come across any indication that in Viking Age Scandinavian society, women ever actually fought in battle as warriors or participated in raids. The term shield-maidens was sometimes used to refer to the Valkyries, supernatural female warriors who served the god Odin and carried the souls of warriors slain in battle to Odin’s feast hall, Valhalla.
I haven’t seen it myself, but I’ve read a number of articles that indicate that that History Channel show is very historically inaccurate. I even came across an interview of its producer who admitted they weren’t particularly concerned about accuracy, just audience size and ratings.
Mr Roberts,
I wanted to commend you on the realism and accuracy of your work. I am a student of history, and a 25 year veteran teacher of history as well as being of Norse descent-I have devoted many years of research myself to the subject and through that lens I can honestly say that your work is as accurate and efficient as any fiction I have ever read and indeed better than some that purports to be historical. I very much enjoy your work and look forward to reading more.
Thank you very much, Tom. I think the Vikings have gotten a very unfairly bad image both in history and in most portrayals of them in fiction and film. The reality is that they were a fascinating, highly developed, and very important culture. I do a lot of digging in many different kinds of sources to try and present as accurate a portrayal of them as possible.
True-Archaeologists have found much more to support the trading aspect of the Vikings(a name they would not necessarily use for themselves) than the raiding. Their big problem was that they tended to raid people who wrote and the Vikings became the victims of bad press for the rest of history. Truly a rich culture, I just finished the road to vengeance cannot wait for the next installment.
You’re very right about the use of the term “Vikings,” Tom. Although it’s hard not to use it now because it is the commonly accepted general term for the Scandinavian peoples of the Viking era, from the old sagas, it appears that back then they themselves used the term, if at all, primarily to refer to raiders and/or pirates.
Dear Mr.Roberts,
Have you considered using the fact that bows were considered less honorable than melee weapons in the viking culture to incite challengers for the praise he has been given by his superiors? As they were very wary of an opposition in a political nature it seems as if this would become a great issue, and that those around him would use anything they could to hinder his quest.
Thank you.
Daniel,
I have read many, many of the old Viking sagas for the insights they give into the Vikings’ culture and attitudes. I have not come across anything in them that would reflect that they felt killing from a distance with a bow was in any way less honorable than with hand combat weapons. The Vikings esteemed any kind of exceptional weapons skill, and there are accounts of even kings using bows in combat. The Vikings were a very practical people.
The kind of attitude you suggest would have existed much later, during the Middle Ages when archers were typically commoners, and the elite warriors were knights, and considered to be in a higher, more noble class.
Hello everyone and Mr. Roberts,
I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but the history channel has a series called Vikings. It’s really good, but what’s cool is that it’s centered around a character called Ragnar Lodbrok. I think he becomes the warking Ragnar from the book since they are both famous for their sacking of England. He even has a son called Bjorn! If they are one and the same, this could present an opportunity to televise your books. This is just a suggestion.
Anyways keep up the good work.
Kris10
HI Kristen,
Thanks for giving folks a heads up about that series. I have not watched it myself–I don’t have TV service–but from what I’ve read, it is both popular with its audience, and riddled with historical inaccuracies (which means I probably will not try to watch it via Netflix–I get frustrated by bad film portrayals of the Vikings). However, at least it is generating a lot of interest in the Vikings.
And from what I’ve read, the Ragnar and his son Bjorn in the show are very loosely based on the actual Viking characters who also figure in the Strongbow Saga.
Hello Mr. Judson,
I just read the April post, and I was wondering what would be considered a long journey and a short journey? Furthermore, you mentioned that a crew of 50 for a ship the size of the Gull would be too much, but what do you think would be the ideal crew size? I want to say 40, but I’m not sure what the death rate at sea is (I’m assuming it is low since Vikings had a lot of experience, but then again I’m not sure how advance medicine was and I remember reading that sometimes on a pirate ship the doctor and the cook were the same people which leads me to wonder if it is the same on a Viking ship?) Furthermore, what was usually done for fun on these voyages? Fishing, gambling, test of strengths?
You are an amazing author and seeing all the research you put into writing really makes me appreciate it a lot more. I’m the type of person where when I get hooked onto something I start to research everything about it. I’m also amazed that you personally answer to all the comments you get on the website, even if it is only to say thank you. It makes me happy to know that you care for your fans.
Some great questions–thanks! A short journey would be just a few days, so that only minimal provisions would be required. Longer journeys would take weeks, and in some cases, months or years, although journeys that long would require many stops to replenish stores. For example, the historical Hastein and Bjorn Ironsides once led a several year voyage into the Mediterranean, and raided all the way to Italy.
Regarding crew size, a ship with fifteen pairs of oars would need at least thirty men just to row them. Additional men would be needed to steer, keep watch, and work the sail when the ship was in the process of transitioning from oars to sail. It’s just an educated guess, but I think that balancing the amount of deck space that would be available on a ship carrying significant provisions and/or cargo, with the number of men needed to run the ship, a crew of about 40 was probably a reasonable number.
Based on original saga descriptions of sea voyages, the death rate at sea seemed to have been minimal, unless a ship was lost in a storm, killing most or all of its crew. Losses were much more likely to happen once the ship and its crew made landfall, particularly if they were raiding.
I’ve found no information that addresses how the crews entertained themselves during pare time on a sea voyage, but the things you suggest, plus storytelling, seem likely.
Thanks for writing!