Orkneyinga Saga (Penguin Books)

Written around AD 1200 żeby an unnamed Icelandic author, the Orkneyinga Saga is an intriguing fusion of myth, legend and history. The only medieval bronicle to have Orkney as the central place of action, it tells of an era when the islands were still part of the Viking world, beginning with their conquest żeby the kings of Norway in the ninth century. The saga describes the subsequent history of the Earldom of Orkney and the adventures of great Norsemen such as Sigurd the Powerful, St Magnus the Martyr and Hrolf, the conqueror of Normandy. Savagely powerful and poetic, this is a fascinating depiction of an age of brutal battles, murder, sorcery and bitter family feuds.