Cover Flap English children learn that Knut the Great was a pre-Norman king born of Royal Danish blood and was so conceited as to think that he could command the ocean tides. The rest of Europe learn that he was the Emperor of the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Irish Sea and the Channel. Directly or indirectly he ruled most of the peoples living around those seas and thus the trade between them flourished. Knut inherited the empire that his father, King Sweyn Forkbeard of the Danes had glued together. Glued with the technology and wealth gained from the Byzantine trade via the river routes to the Black Sea, and with Varangian warriors trained in the Byzantine. About the Author Skye Smith is my pen name. My interest in Knut stems from the endless research I did while writing “The Hoodsman” series of historical novels about the Norman invasion of England. That invasion by William the Conqueror was not a quick subjugation of a Brit-Saxon England, but a long and bitter genocide of Brit-Danish England and the destruction of Knut’s great legacy. The first novel “Knut - Jomsviking” sets the characters and scene for the entire series, so if you haven’t yet read it, now would be a good time. This is the second novel in the series where Knut’s story continues with the adventures of his father, King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark as he entwines the politics of Baltic and Black Seas with the politics of England. The chapter headings identify the dates and places. The Appendix gives historical insight and a list of characters. Enjoy. Other Novels By The Same Author: The Hoodsman – 12 historical adventures set in the Norman conquest. Maya’s Aura – 8 new age adventures while tripping around the world. The Pistoleer – 9 historical adventures set in the English Civil War. Knut – many historical adventures set in the Viking Era. Knut #1 – Jomsviking (980 – 984) Knut #2 – Varangian (986 – 992) Knut #3 – Strandhogg (993 – 994) Knut #4 – Forkbeard’s Peace (995 – 999) Knut #5 – Brice’s Massacre (1000 – 1002 coming soon)

Cover Flap English children learn that Knut the Great was a pre-Norman king born of Royal Danish blood who thought he could command the ocean tides. The rest of Europe learn that he was the Emperor of the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Irish Sea and the Channel. Knut’s father was Sweyn Forkbeard, and by 995 Sweyn and his Slavic allies had pushed the German Saxons away from Jutland and the Baltic. Sweyn was now a Great King, a king of kings, who directly or indirectly ruled lands from Finland to Yorkshire. With his rule came peace and prosperity, except in Norway where warriors were still fighting over who would replace King Haakon Sigurdsson. Olaf Tryggvason, Sweyn’s ally against the British Saxons, had travelled to Norway to claim the throne. With him came Saxon priests. The Norse were not amused. About the Author Skye Smith is my pen name. My interest in Knut stems from the endless research I did while writing “The Hoodsman” series of historical novels about the Norman invasion of England. That invasion by William the Conqueror was not a quick subjugation of an Anglo-Saxon England, but a long and bitter genocide of an Anglo-Danish England and the destruction of Knut’s great legacy. The first novel “Knut - Jomsviking” sets the characters and scene for the entire series, so if you haven’t yet read it, now would be a good time. This is the fourth novel in the series where Knut’s story continues with the building of a Scandinavian empire by his father. Sweyn Forkbeard was becoming the Great King of the Danes, Swedes, Goths, Norse, plus many Slavs, Finns, Brits, and Irish. The chapter headings identify the dates and places. The Appendix gives historical insight and a list of characters. Enjoy. Other Novels By The Same Author: The Hoodsman – 12 historical adventures set in the Norman conquest. Maya’s Aura – 8 new age adventures while tripping around the world. The Pistoleer – 9 historical adventures set in the English Civil War. Knut – many historical adventures set in the Viking Era. Knut #1 – Jomsviking (980 – 984) Knut #2 – Varangian (986 – 992) Knut #3 – Strandhogg (993 – 994) Knut #4 – Forkbeard’s Peace (995 – 999) Knut #5 – Brice’s Massacre (1000 – 1002 coming soon)

Cover Flap English children learn that Knut the Great was a pre-Norman king born of Royal Danish blood who thought he could command the ocean tides. The rest of Europe learn that he was the Emperor of the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Irish Sea and the Channel. Knut was the son of Sweyn Forkbeard, a Danish king of kings who by 1000AD ruled all of Scandinavia. His empire was at peace, trade was thriving, and life was better than anyone could remember. But then the King of the Anglo Saxons, Aethelred the ‘Ill Advised’, ordered the massacre of all Danes on St. Brice’s market day. Why? When surely such a slaughter would be avenged? About the Author Skye Smith is my pen name. My interest in Knut stems from the endless research I did while writing “The Hoodsman” series of historical novels about the Norman invasion of England. That invasion by William the Conqueror was not a quick subjugation of an Anglo-Saxon England, but a long and bitter genocide of an Anglo-Danish England and the destruction of Knut’s great legacy. The first novel “Knut - Jomsviking” sets the characters and scene for the entire series, so if you haven’t yet read it, now would be a good time. This sixth novel in historical sequence describes how the vengeance of the Danes began against Aethelred the Unread. Other Novels By The Same Author: The Hoodsman – 12 historical adventures set in the Norman conquest. Maya’s Aura – 8 new age adventures while tripping around the world. The Pistoleer – 9 historical adventures set in the English Civil War. Knut – many historical adventures set in the Viking Era. Knut #1 – Jomsviking (980 – 984) Knut #2 – Varangian (986 – 992) Knut #3 – Strandhogg (993 – 994) Knut #4 – Forkbeard’s Peace (995 – 999) Knut #5 – Brice’s Massacre (1000 – 1002) Knut #6 – Vengeance (1002 – 1004) Knut #7 – Invasion (1004 – 1006 coming soon)

Cover Flap The Hoodsman series of twelve historical action novels simultaneously follow two distinct timelines. The longer (flashback) timeline begins shortly before the invasions of England in 1066, and progresses through the subsequent reign of terror of William the Conqueror. The shorter (current) timeline begins in 1100 with the assassination of William II, and progresses through the rise to power of the conqueror’s youngest son Henry I. Although the Robin Hood style adventures can be enjoyed simply as action packed entertainment, at a deeper level they also offer a portrait of the characters, society, and events during a difficult era that was pivotal to the people and history of the British Isles. This ‘thirteenth’ book is a reference handbook that will help the fans of the Hoodsman novels to more thoroughly understand and enjoy them. I have self-published twelve “The Hoodsman” historical-adventure novels and one Companion reference book for the series: # - SubTitle William I Timeline Henry I Timeline 1. Killing Kings 1066 killing King Harald of Norway (Battle of Stamford Bridge) 1100 killing King William II of England. Henry claims the throne. 2. Hunting Kings 1066 hunting the Conqueror (Battle of Hastings Road) 1100 hunting Henry I (Coronation Charter) 3. Frisians of the Fens 1067/68 rebellions. Edgar Aetheling flees north with Margaret. 1100 amnesty and peace. Henry recruits English bowmen. 4. Saving Princesses 1068/69 rebellions. Margaret weds Scotland (Battle of Durham) 1100/01 Edith of Scotland weds Henry (Battle of Alton) 5. Blackstone Edge 1069/70 rebellions (The Harrowing of the North) 1101 peace while the economy is saved from the bankers 6. Ely Wakes 1070/71 Frisian rebellion (Battles of Ely and Cassel) 1101 Henry collects allies. Mary of Scotland weds Boulogne. 7. Courtesans and Exiles 1072/74 English lords flee abroad (Battle of Montreuil, Edgar surrenders) 1102 Henry collects allies (the honour of Boulogne) 8. The Revolt of the Earls 1075/76 Earls revolt (Battles of Worchester and Fagaduna) 1102 Earls revolt (Battles of Arundel, Bridgnorth, Shropshire) 9. Forest Law 1076/79 fighting Normans in France (London Burned, Battle of Gerberoi) 1103 fighting Normans in Cornwall (Battle of Tamara Sound) 10. Queens and Widows 1079/81 rebellions (Gateshead, Judith of Lens) 1103 Edith made Regent (Force 5 Hurricane) 11. Popes and Emperors 1081 Normans slaughter English exiles (Battle of Dyrrhachium) 1104 Henry visits Normandy (Duchy run by warlords) 12. The Second Invasion 1082/85 power vacuum, peaceful anarchy (Regent Odo arrested enroute to Rome) 1085/87 Re-invasion and Harrowing of all England (Battle of Mantes, Conqueror dies) 1104/05 Henry invades Normandy twice (Battle of Tinchebray) Other Novels By The Same Author: The Pistoleer – 9 historical adventures set in the English Civil War. Maya’s Aura – 8 new age adventures while tripping around the world. Knut – many historical adventures set in the Viking Era.

Cover Flap English children learn that Knut the Great was a pre-Norman king born of Royal Danish blood and was so conceited as to think that he could command the ocean tides. The rest of Europe learn that he was the Emperor of the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Irish Sea and the Channel. Directly or indirectly he ruled most of the peoples living around those seas and thus the trade between them flourished. Knut was not born in England, or even in Denmark, but on an island at the mouth of the Oder River in Wendland (Pomerania) in a fortress town controlled by the legendary Jomsvikings. About the Author Skye Smith is my pen name. My interest in Knut stems from the endless research I did while writing “The Hoodsman” series of historical novels about the Norman invasion of England. That invasion by William the Conqueror was not a quick subjugation of an Anglo-Saxon England, but a long and bitter genocide of an Anglo-Danish England and the destruction of Knut’s great legacy. This is the first novel in the series, so it sets the characters and scene for the entire series. Knut’s story begins with his grandfather, King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark, and the entwined politics of Baltic and Black Seas, and the river trade routes which connect them. The chapter headings identify the dates and places. The Appendix gives historical insight and a list of characters. Enjoy. Other Novels By The Same Author: The Hoodsman – 12 historical adventures set in the Norman conquest. Maya’s Aura – 8 new age adventures while tripping around the world. The Pistoleer – 9 historical adventures set in the English Civil War. Knut – many historical adventures set in the Viking Era. Knut #1 – Jomsviking (980 – 984) Knut #2 – Varangian (986 – 992) Knut #3 – Strandhogg (993 – 994) Knut #4 – Forkbeard’s Peace (995 – 999) Knut #5 – Brice’s Massacre (1000 – 1002 coming soon)

Studies on the history and archaeology of Eastern Europe during the early Middle Ages

With a multidisciplinary approach by archaeologists, historians and related sciences by leading scholars from England, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, USA and the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, this anthology examines the cross cultural ties between the Baltic and the Black Sea Area from Late Antiquity through the Viking Age to the Middle Ages. With articles ranging from the lively exchange between Southern Scandinavia and the Goths in the Pontic Area in Late Antiquity, to the famous Varangian Guard consisting of Scandinavians at the Royal Court in Byzantine in the Late Viking Age, the book provides an overview of important sources and new research into the significance of long range relations and cross cultural interaction between Scandinavia, the Slavic lands and the Black Sea Region.