Product Description

Whilst on a mission up the Volga, a representative of the ruler of Baghdad meets a Viking chieftain who has been summoned back to Scandinavia by his besieged relatives. The two men journey together northwards to engage in mortal combat with the dark, hairy brutes who threaten to empty the land.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8346 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Customer Reviews

Short, sharp and savage
I decided to read this book after watching the flawed but fun film The 13th Warrior which was based on Crichton's book. Crichton's book is, of course, based on the slightly tall tales of Ahmed ibn Fadhlan and the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. Confused? Don't worry, it's better than it sounds as Crichton weaves his clever web of comradeship, heroism, faith and cannibalism where his central character swallows his pious pride to take up arms alongside pagan barbarians to fight a savage, relentless and unnameable enemy. Make no mistake, this isn't one of Crichton's usual techno thrillers as there's not an atom of scientific hokum in it, which might explain its comparative brevity, but the reader is plunged headlong into the scrapping and skullduggery.

A cracking yarn that would be ideal reading for dark winter nights to give you a scare or two and make you think twice before mentioning the Wend-... no, I won't say it in case I summon them up. Go on, read it if you dare.

An excellent view of Viking life in the 10th century
I had seen the movie "The 13th Warrior" and it immediately caught my attention how an Arab could travel with the Vikings, so I decided to read the book. Based on a the true travels of Ibn Fadlan, this book explains in an excellent manner how the Vikings had lived through the eyes of an Arab traveller who also compared their culture and religion to those of his own. This book would be of great interest to those of you who would not only like to read an interesting and exciting story but to learn a bit of history as well.

A Short, Brilliant Book.
'Eaters of the Dead' is often overlooked because as it is quite short, it didn't get much publicity as it was not deemed to be of sufficient length to be a bestseller novel. This is a pity as I think this ranks right up there with Crichton's best work.

The only problem with this book is that it is too short! The story is intricately weaved around a group of wonderfull characters explored in depth by Michael Crichton. As the basis of this story is the legend of Beowulf, if you are intrested in Norse myth and traditions this is a really fascinating read.

A very well written book, its just a pity so few people know about it.