1014: Brian Boru & the Battle for Ireland

"A deftly written history that reads as smoothly as a novel." —  Midwest Book Review In life, the eleventh-century Irish king Brian Boru held the Vikings at bay; in death, he remains a towering presence in history and legend. A thousand years have passed since the Battle of Clontarf, a turning point in Irish history in which two centuries of strife between Irish kings and Vikings climaxed in a fateful conflict in the swamps of Dublin. This fascinating survey explores the personalities on bo