In 793 AD, Norwegian warriors attacked the English island of Lindisfarne and completely devastated it. Wave after wave, Scandinavian “sea wolves” followed the loot—land—or glorious death in battle. Most of the British Isles fell to their swords, and the continental capitals, Paris and Aachen, were plundered one after another. Turning east, they sailed along the unknown rivers of Central Europe, captured Kyiv, and clashed with the powerful Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. But in the story of the Vikings there were more than just conquests. They introduced a new form of juries in England, were skilled merchants and explorers who settled Iceland, founded Dublin, and created a trade network stretching from Baghdad to the coasts of North America.