The Last Battle of The Vikings

In October of 1263, King Hakon Hakonson stepped ashore at Largs to command his 900 Norwegian warrors against a force of 500 mounted Scottish knights. The calamitous events to follow at the Battle of Largs changed the future course and identity of a fledgling Scottish nation forever. Professor Jon Henderson rediscovers the incredible story of the last days of the Vikings, painting a vivid picture of Scotland and the brutal men who came over the North Sea in longships.

Nowhere in the British Isles was the Viking connection longer-lasting or deeper than in Scotland. Hundreds of years after their first hit-and-run raids, the Norsemen still dominated huge swathes of the country.

Nearly 1,000 years ago, the Vikings left Scandinavia and settled across Europe – giving their name to Normandy along the way – before their Norman descendants seized the English throne at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. But what do we really know about them?

Nearly 1,000 years ago, the Vikings left Scandinavia and settled across Europe – giving their name to Normandy along the way – before their Norman descendants seized the English throne at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. But what do we really know about them?

Vikings is a documentary series written and presented by Neil Oliver charting the rise of the Vikings from prehistoric times to the empire of Canute.

Throughout history, Vikings waged war from the seas, notoriously ruthless and with their own set of rules. The Viking expansion was unprecedented in the veracity of its spread.

The year is 1066. The place is England. King Edward the Confessor has just died and with no true heir to succeed him, three power-hungry warlords set their eyes on the crown. In the coming months, the country will endure three invasions that will end a chapter in Viking history and change the shape of England and Europe forever. Revisit the remarkable year when a real-life drama played out, one full of political schemes, family betrayals, and bloody invasions that culminated in the epic Battle of Hastings.

The Great British Story: A People’s History is a documentary series presented by Michael Wood. He travels around the country as he explores the United Kingdom’s remarkable past, from the perspective of ordinary people. It’s wide-ranging, beautifully filmed and a bit sentimental, but also hugely informative and full of good humour. Nobody does this sort of thing better.

The Normans, a three-part series on BBC that will examine the extraordinary expansion and unchecked ambition of this warrior race between the 10th and 13th centuries. Presented by Professor Robert Bartlett, the series will bring the history of the Normans to life by uncovering the personal stories of shadowy figures like Tancred of Hauteville, best remembered as a poor 11th-century Norman lord who fathered no less than 12 sons, two of whom left their homeland and risked their lives to become great rulers in the Mediterranean and Middle East.