I just received a copy of the book. It was quite hard to get, because the only place that stocks it now is the Danish Museum, no online store. It was available at a different online shop but he stopped getting it because they were too difficult to deal with for some reason.
The price I paid ended up including a 25% goods and services tax, which I shouldn't have been charged because I was outside of the EU. Postage was very expensive too.
Down to the book. Its a hardcover, well printed, on good paper, but quite small, roughly 8" x 6", 224p.
Lots of good black and white illustrations and some colour photo's.
I was expecting a lot of detailed information on Viking bows, both historical, and reproductions. Yes there is some of that there, but the subject is better covered in Jurgen Junkmanns, Pfeil und Bogen(in German), and Das Bogen Bauer Buch(there is an Eng translation available too). If you haven't read these books before you would find the Viking book to be useful. There are 6 reproduction bows with measurements that you can rough out to similar dimensions before tweaking the tiller to the individual wood of your bow stave.
Once again the earlier mentioned books provide more detailed information about the historical bows and also modern reproductions. (The Germans really know their stuff.) I was left feeling a little underwhelmed.
Most of the other information is no different from any other book on wooden bowmaking, how to tiller, make arrows and bow strings, and how to shoot. Its more from a modern perspective, rather than how the Vikings might have done it.
Most of the information is available in other books that I have already read, but would be useful if you haven't already read a wide array of longbow literature. Once again I felt it was more filler that wasn't essential to the specific subject of Viking bows and arrows.
My expectations might have been too high. Don't get me wrong its a nice book, and it been added to my archery collection. Had I seen a shop copy of the book I may not have bought it because I already have more detailed alternatives.
