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.
Kyle, I’ll respond to your post below here–and I apologize for being slow to respond. I’ve been busy this week planning a research trip to Ireland, plus there has been, and will continue to be over the next week or so, some work occurring on this site to update it.
In order to post other than as a reply, you must use the form at the bottom of this page. I did not realize how far down someone now has to scroll now to find the form–thanks for alerting me to that issue. I’ll add it to the list of things that need work here.
Regarding sources to learn more about Viking arms and armor, here’s a list of some of the research books on that subject I have in my own research library I’ve accumulated over the years:
Viking Warrior, by Mark Harrison (Osprey Books)
The Vikings, by Ian Heath and Angus McBride (Osprey Books)
Viking Weapons and Combat Techniques, by William Short
The Viking Art of War, by Paddy Griffith
Viking Weapons and Warfare, by J. Kim Siddorn
Swords of the Viking Age, by Ian Pierce
Medieval Swordsmanship, by John Clements
The Osprey books are by far the least expensive, and offer a decent overview. Siddorn is a UK Viking re-enactor, and the information in his book–which includes interesting reports about armor and shield tests and construction–is based to a large degree on experience gained in simulated combat by re-enactors, which of course would differ in many ways from actual combat with deadly intent and sharpened weapons, but it is still a quite useful and interesting work. Clements’ book covers the entire Medieval time period, so includes weapons and techniques not used during the Viking period, but he does provide quite detailed and thoroughly researched information about fighting with swords.
I also have two videos (which I need to get converted to DVD) that were produced by Hank Reinhardt, an expert on swords associated with Museum Replicas before his death: Viking Sword, and The Myth of the Sword. Both are somewhat slow watching, but offer useful information including tests of cutting effectiveness, staged combat sequences, etc., although I do not know if they are still in production and available.
I absulutly love the Strongbow Saga!!! I read the first book what fealls like forever ago. It took a day of surching through google to find because I couldent remember the title or charicter names, but Im glad I keep looking. I cant wait for The Beast of Dublin and book 5.
Thank you, Marie.
Mr. Roberts I really enjoy your books. The level of historical accuracy that you provide to your books compared to other historical fiction writers adds a whole other level of merit to them and enjoyment to reading them. I have two questions. What books or websites do you suggest in order to learn more about viking arms and armor? My last question is how does one post on here without reply to someone else’s post? I apologize but I just couldn’t figure it out. Please keep up the good work and I’m very much looking forward to The Beast of Dublin and the rest of the Strongbow Saga
How long each day do you write? What is your time commitment? Also, on page 196 of the “Long Hunt”, where did you learn how the Vikings tied their ships together?
I don’t write every day. Since moving to Oregon in 2012, I basically have three “jobs.” The first is the farm–we try to grow a large percentage of our own food, and have sheep, chickens, and ducks to care for. All of that requires a pretty large time commitment. The second is the business side of my writing. In 2012, my wife and I set up a small corporation to handle publishing my books, now that we’ve gotten the full rights back and they are no longer being mishandled by HarperCollins. A certain amount of time is required to handle the mundane details of running a business–payroll, taxes, record-keeping, etc.–plus, we’re currently focused on establishing a presence in some new markets. One element of that was finally getting around to setting up the Northman Books webstore, where autographed copies of the books, plus some promotional items like Strongbow saga t-shirts, can be purchased. We’re also currently working on getting the e-books into the Apple iTunes store, on getting audio book editions of the series created, and–as soon as the translator finishes her work–getting a German language edition of Viking Warrior out, in e-book and print editions, in the German market.
Those first two are my “day jobs,” in the sense that they require constant attention every week, if not every day. Actually writing books is the third prong. I do extensive research before I actually begin writing each book, although I also do ongoing research as I write, and new issues arise. For example, prior to writing books 2 and 3 of the series, my wife and I traveled to Paris to do on-the-ground research there, to better understand what the city would have looked like when the Danish army attacked and captured it in 845. We’re currently making plans for a research trip to Ireland sometime this summer, for on-the-ground research to support both The Beast of Dublin and book 5, the final book in the Strongbow Saga series.
I anticipate actually returning to writing this fall, when I have the Ireland research complete and the growing season on the farm has wound down, allowing me to put more concentrated blocks of time into the writing process. There has been a transitional period adjusting to this new life up here, but I trying to develop a work pattern of concentrated writing over the course of the fall and winter, then publication in the spring or early summer.
Re: the tying the ships together in a sea battle, there are many accounts of sea battles in various of the old Viking sagas, in which the lashing of ships together into a fighting platform is described. As to where/how the ropes were actually attached, those details came from my imagination, based on common sense and knowledge of the ships’ construction. Thanks for the great question.
I finished all 4 in the Strongbow series, however, I’m wondering if there is a problem with my ebook or if you ended book 4 abruptly at the point in the story where they are leaving Birka to continue the search for Toke and Sigrid. That’s where my edition ended and I found it unsatisfying to not know what transpired. Thank you, I enjoy your writing immensely.
Lisa, thanks for writing and for your question. There is nothing wrong with your e-book–I’m afraid that’s where book 4 ends. Sorry it was unsatisfying, but I’m writing the Strongbow Saga as a single story, told over five installments. It’s reaIly more of a single, serialized story than a series. Although I try to find reasonable places to break the continuing story and end each of the books, sometimes a book just ends with somewhat of a cliffhanger feeling. The end of book 4 is obviously such an ending, but the end of book 2 also was.
The good news is that book 5 will end the story–no more cliffhangers. The bad news is that I’m anticipating 2016 as the probable publication date of that book. I’ll do my best to make it a worthy wrap-up of the story, though.
Not sure if you saw my question from yesterday about the historical basis for the name Ruda. I may have posted it in the wrong place. Wondering if you found some historical reference to it?
Thanks for writing, Anne. I did find historical references for the Vikings calling Rouen “Ruda”–they commonly had their own names for many locations. It has been a number of years since I did my research on Frankia, so I’ll have to dig back into my notes and sources to give you my source, and I won’t have time to do that until next week–some out of town guests are arriving tomorrow. But I will look it up for you and will post an update here when I find the information.
Update: still looking for that reference, Anne. It was not in the general Viking history sources I keep in my personal research library, which suggests it may have been a reference in a footnote in a translation of one of the old Viking sagas. I’ll keep looking for the source.
There’s no question that Judson Roberts is a talented writer, if you need convincing read the first three books in this exciting and “can’t put the book down” series. He’s so good he’s up there with Bernard Cornwall and that’s saying a lot.
However, with the fourth book, “The Long Hunt”, the emotional thread of Halfdan, the magic and heart that was so beautifully woven throughout the first three books, was missing. I found myself skipping pages as the authors focus was more on descriptive details of boats, landscapes and war (in other words “filler”). If you’ve read the first three books (and I recommend you do) I’m not sure “The Long Hunt” was worth The Long Wait it took before it was published. Maybe part of the reason is that the length of time that lapsed between the third and fourth book was too long and the author had other things on his mind. In any case, I’m still a big fan and will read his forthcoming books.
Thanks for that feedback, Kate, and I’m sorry The Long Hunt didn’t live up to your hopes and expectations.
I’m trying to do more than one thing with this series. The primary focus is, of course, to tell Halfdan’s story. But I’m also trying to accurately portray what the Vikings’ world was really like, because most portrayals of it are so far off from historical accuracy and reality. Sea voyages were of course a big part of the Viking existence, and battles at sea were an iconic aspect of the time and their culture, so I wanted to let readers experience those things within the series. I also wanted to more fully paint the Vikings’ concept of fate, which was a core belief for them. For some readers–including myself, in some of my favorite books I’ve read–deep immersion into the world a story is set in is a part of the pleasure of of story. For others–and again, I’ve had this experience, too, when books didn’t work for me as I read them–the same kind of passages can feel like filler slowing the story-line’s progress. Sorry that’s how much of The Long Hunt felt to you, but thanks for letting me know.
Recent article on Vikings from The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/29/arts/design/vikings-in-london-glamorous-but-just-like-family.html
Looks like a great exhibit–wish it would come to the US.
Hello!
First i have to say, i love the stories of Halfdan and i´m looking forward to what is going to happen next!
Only thing i am always confused about is, that you always write Ragnar Logbrod when it is really Ragnar Lodbrok (loden breeks). Kind of disturbing.
But otherwise as i said! LOVE THE STORIES!!!!!
kind regards, Philipp
Thanks, Philipp. Your question is a fair one. In the many years of research I’ve done as background for this series, beginning around 1999, I’ve encountered various spellings of Ragnar’s last name: Lodbrok, Lothbrok, and Lodbrod. The confusion comes from the fact that the English language alphabet does not have letters which exactly correspond to some of the consonants and vowels of the Old Norse language. Lodbrok does seem to be the most commonly used translation now, and if I hadn’t already used the version “Lodbrod” (and at this late date I cannot recall why I chose that version), I would use Lodbrok in the series. But changing it at this point would, in my opinion, cause more confusion and would be more trouble than the slight difference is worth.
Hey Judson, Just finished your latest book and I am kinda sad now 🙁
I really loved it and cannot wait until the next book, however long it may take. If it takes 20 years to complete I don’t care, as long as it is completed.
You are my absolute favorite author of all time and I’m so glad I found your books.
Marcus.
Thanks very much, Marcus. It won’t take 20 years, I promise!
I have just finished books one through four of the Strongbow saga, and thoroughly enjoyed them.
I truly hope that you would see to finishing this series before starting on your other quest. It is nice to get the first job done?
I hope that Genevieve comes back (with child?) I really liked her.
Note that on Amazon your homepage does not list the Long Hunt.
Kind regards
Graham
Thank you, Graham. I appreciate the heads up about the Amazon home page.
The reason my next book project will be completing The Beast of Dublin, instead of writing book 5, the conclusion of The Strongbow Saga, is that TBOD is in some ways a prequel to the series, and a character introduced in that book, Conall, will figure into the story in book 5–so I need to have his character fully worked out before I get to book 5. So when it comes out there will be elements affecting the series for you and other fans of the series to enjoy–I’m even considering giving Toke a small role in the story.
Mr Roberts,
I’m just wondering, how did you find out you were descended from the Viking chieftain Rollo?
Good question, Scott. My mother’s brother was very interested in his family’s genealogy, and traced it back as far as he could. I have a copy of the charts he made. Some of his–and my–ancestors came over to the U.S. from England very early on, but before that, in England, they were related to a line of Norman nobles that led back to William the Conqueror. He, of course, was a descendant of Rollo, or Hrolf, which was his true name (the Franks/French called him Rollo). Had the genealogy not led into the English nobility it would have been far more difficult to trace, but the history of those families is pretty well documented.
I suspect my father’s family also traces back eventually to Scandinavian origins–Roberts is probably a shortening of Robertsson, and Scandinavian roots are very widespread in England, given the several times Vikings conquered large areas of that country–but I’ve never tried to trace it.