Frans G. Bengtsson wrote The Long Ships over 60-years ago during World War II. Since it was written in Swedish, it didn’t make much of an impression in America until fairly recently. That’s our loss because this is a fun adventure story.

The book is based in the 10th century AD. The story tracks the adventures of a Viking named Red Orm, who is kidnapped from his home, becomes a slave in Moorish Spain, escapes, washes up in Ireland, eventually joins a new religion called Christianity, and returns home a rich hero with a beautiful princess bride. And that’s only HALF the story! The book continues as he finds as much excitement at home as when he was out plundering with his fellow Vikings.

Pure adventure, pure fun. Extremely well written, though the English translation that I read is wordy at times. The stories were farfetched, of course, but then that’s the nature of an adventure novel. It seems historically and culturally accurate, which adds incredible depth to the story.

If you want to read a 500-page adventure story, this is a good one.