Viking Story

Season 7 is right around the corner, but first..... we welcome back Martyn Whittock to the podcast to discuss his latest book "Vikings in the East - From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin - The Origins of a Contested Legacy in Russia and Ukraine."This book examines both the Viking history that both nations share, as well as how that history affects the modern day political and military objectives of both countries in what Martyn Whittock refers to as their 'deep stories.'During our discussion we talk about the lesser-known exploits of those Norse who travelled east and south instead of westward. How far did they actually travel? Were there Vikings riding on camels in Bagdad? Were Vikings sailing their ships in the Persian Gulf? Did they manage to travel as far China? As well, was Asgarðr (Asgard) based on a real place? How pivotal was Vladimir the Great's baptism in 988? And why is Vladimir Putin suddenly interested in promoting the 'Rus' origin story for the Russian Federation? Some of Martyn's answers might surprise you!If you're interested in purchasing Martyn Whittock's latest book, which is out right now, then you can find it wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher's website here: https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/vikings-in-the-eastRegarding the Viking Story podcast, please don’t forget to rate, review, and help spread the word! You can reach me via e-mail at: vikingstoryfaq@outlook.comMy "Bloodsword Saga - Fear The North" novel is currently available on Amazon as a paperback or e-book and you can find it by searching for my name: Alan Laycock-Fuchs "Bloodsword Saga - Fear The North" is also available from the St. Clair Publications website: https://stclairpublications.com/shop/ols/categories/alan-laycock-fuchsMusic rights courtesy of: https://freemusicarchive.orgThank you for listening!

The final episode of the Interview Series focuses on myself and a Canadian book club who ask me various questions about my book and the associated Viking history that it contains. So join me as I take on 1000s of questions thrown at me, with no preparation from my side whatsoever, during the middle of my night, and listen as I try to answer each and every question off-the-cuff as insightfully and thoughtfully as possible! Actually, I'm quite proud of how this interview went and it was a lot of fun being the guest rather than the host for once! So, if you want to know more about everyday Viking life for men, women and children, the religion of the Vikings, if Borgavirki is a real place or not, and so much more, then this is the episode for you!Don’t forget to rate, review, and help spread the word! You can reach me via e-mail at: vikingstoryfaq@outlook.comMy "Bloodsword Saga - Fear The North" novel is currently available on Amazon as a paperback or e-book and you can find it by searching for my name: Alan Laycock-Fuchs "Bloodsword Saga - Fear The North" is also available from the St. Clair Publications website: https://stclairpublications.com/shop/ols/categories/alan-laycock-fuchsMusic rights courtesy of: https://freemusicarchive.org

In this week's interview I get to sit down and speak to Riccardo Polacci, another historical fiction author who sets his narratives in the Viking Age. We talk about the spiritual episode that lead to Riccardo's writing of "Born a Viking: Blót," why he chose such a young character as his protagonist and about some of the decisions he had to make when writing his novel.There is also a healthy discussion on Old Norse and in particular some of the Old Norse vocabulary that Riccardo uses in his series. If you'd like to purchase "Born a Viking: Blót" then the following link may be helpful: https://mybook.to/rp-bornavikingblotAlternatively, all of the information regarding Riccardo's newsletter, sample chapters, and even the second book in his series "Born a Viking: Berserkr," which is also now available for purchase, can be found through his website: riccardopolacci.comDon’t forget to rate, review, and help spread the word! You can reach me via e-mail at: vikingstoryfaq@outlook.comMy "Bloodsword Saga - Fear The North" novel is currently available on Amazon as a paperback or e-book and you can find it by searching for my name: Alan Laycock-Fuchs "Bloodsword Saga - Fear The North" is also available from the St. Clair Publications website: https://stclairpublications.com/shop/ols/categories/alan-laycock-fuchsMusic rights courtesy of: https://freemusicarchive.org

Welcome to Season 6! The interviews will start in August but first we take a quick look at what makes this podcast unique. And is it actually the longest running Viking podcast on the interwebs??This episode sets up the rest of the season nicely and also introduces a new tag-line!Don’t forget to rate, review, and help spread the word! You can reach me via e-mail at: vikingstoryfaq@outlook.comMy "Bloodsword Saga - Fear The North" novel is currently available on Amazon as a paperback or e-book and you can find it by searching for my name: Alan Laycock-Fuchs "Bloodsword Saga - Fear The North" is also available from the St. Clair Publications website: https://stclairpublications.com/shop/ols/categories/alan-laycock-fuchsFollow St. Clair Publications on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/stclairpublicationsMusic rights courtesy of: https://freemusicarchive.org

Grab yourself an eggnog because it's time for an early Christmas present - the 40th episode of Viking Story! Did I realize that during recording? No I did not! Nevertheless...When can you expect the sequel to Bloodsword Saga? How can one find the Hamlet/Amleð comparison book from St. Clair Publications that I helped co-write? What is the story behind Stein "The Strong" and his debilitating headaches? The answers to these questions and more in this bonus Christmas episode!Don’t forget to rate, review, and help spread the word! You can reach me via e-mail at: vikingstoryfaq@outlook.comMy Bloodsword Saga novel is currently available on Amazon and you can find it and the (H)amlet(H) comparative piece by searching my name: Alan Laycock-Fuchs My academic historical fiction novel is also available on Amazon as an e-book or for purchase on the St. Clair Publications website as a paperback: https://stclairpublications.com/shop/ols/categories/alan-laycock-fuchsMusic rights courtesy of: https://freemusicarchive.orgAnd finally, a special thank you to whoever gave my Bloodsword Saga novel a 5-star review on Amazon. You are a very kind person because every positive review helps people find the book better, and on a personal note it makes me feel like you must have enjoyed my work. May you all have a wonderful 2024!

Many people have heard of Shakespeare's greatest tragic hero, Hamlet, but surprisingly few have taken an interest in his actual origins, which date back to over half a millennium before Shakespeare's time. In this episode I speak with St. Clair Publications' own Spencer St. Clair to discuss a collaboration that we are working on together, namely, a book that is tentatively titled "(H)amlet(h)" and which compares/contrasts the earliest known sources of "Amlóðasaga," featuring the proto-Hamlet character of Amleth, with Shakespeare's famous play "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark." Strap yourself in and get ready to learn more about Hamlet/Amleth and the famous Danish historian, Saxo Grammaticus, and Saxo's most famous work, a complete history of Denmark called the "Gesta Danorum."Don’t forget to rate, review, and help spread the word! You can reach me via e-mail at: vikingstoryfaq@outlook.comMy novel "Bloodsword Saga" is currently available on Amazon and you can find it by searching my name: Alan Laycock-Fuchs Head on over to St. Clair Publications by visiting https://stclairpublications.com to learn more about them and their amazing collection of books and authors.Want to start your own podcast with the simplest editing and hosting tools and also support this podcast in the process? Then sign up for Alitu using my referral link: https://alitu.com?fp_ref=alan93Music rights courtesy of: https://freemusicarchive.org

It's time for the very first interview in Viking Story history!Get to know Spencer St. Clair from St. Clair Publications, the publishing house behind my Viking novel. In our interview you'll find out what went behind bringing my book to print and how Spencer St. Clair successfully navigated the uniquely challenging ideas that I brought to the table.Don’t forget to rate, review, and help spread the word! You can reach me via e-mail at: vikingstoryfaq@outlook.comHead on over to St. Clair Publications by visiting https://stclairpublications.com to learn more about them and their amazing collection of books and authors.If you'd like to reach out to Spencer St. Clair personally then he is available at: spencer.stclairpublications@gmail.comMy novel is currently available on Amazon and you can find it by searching my name: Alan Laycock-Fuchs Want to start your own podcast with the simplest editing and hosting tools and also support this podcast in the process? Then sign up for Alitu using my referral link: https://alitu.com?fp_ref=alan93Music rights courtesy of: https://freemusicarchive.org