The Edge of the World, Michael Pye
The Edge of the World, Michael Pye
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The Edge of the World
A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation of Europe

Author: Michael Pye

Narrator: Steven Crossley

Unabridged: 15 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/12/2019

Synopsis

An epic adventure ranging from the terror of the Vikings to the golden age of cities: Michael Pye tells the amazing story of how modernity emerged on the shores of the North Sea.Saints and spies, pirates and philosophers, artists and intellectuals: they all criss-crossed the grey North Sea in the so-called “dark ages,” the years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of Europe’s mastery over the oceans. Now the critically acclaimed Michael Pye reveals the cultural transformation sparked by those men and women: the ideas, technology, science, law, and moral codes that helped create our modern world. This is the magnificent lost history of a thousand years. It was on the shores of the North Sea where experimental science was born, where women first had the right to choose whom they married; there was the beginning of contemporary business transactions and the advent of the printed book. In The Edge of the World, Michael Pye draws on an astounding breadth of original source material to illuminate this fascinating region during a pivotal era in world history.

About Michael Pye

Michael Pye is the author of The Drowning Room, The Pieces from Berlin, and The Edge of the World, all three of which were New York Times Notable Books of the Year. He lives in Amsterdam.

About Steven Crossley

Steven Crossley has narrated more than 200 audiobooks and has won multiple Earphones Awards. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has an acting career in theater, television, film, and even radio.

Reviews

Goodreads review by J.L. on June 21, 2022

“Erik the Red left Norway for frontier Iceland ‘on account of some killings’ and after a while he had to leave Iceland on account of some more killings; he needed a fresh start after his first fresh start.” Michael Pye’s The Edge of the World: A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformatio......more

Goodreads review by Rachel on May 09, 2015

Entertaining read for medieval and Renaissance history buffs, but too many gaps in the narrative. The book did not meet the author's mission of showing Northern European influence on modernity, nor did it give a coherent history of early Northern Europe. Also, what the heck happened to the Vikings?......more

Goodreads review by Jonfaith on September 21, 2022

This is a delightful mess of a book, one I might not have approached were I not in Iceland. Pye practices a nominal cultural history, not a long view a la Braudel and his institutional approach is much more about people than the cold gray ocean: I can attest that the North Sea is captivating but it......more

Goodreads review by Jeffrey on May 14, 2016

If it weren't for the subject matter I would give this book a single star. Pye begins with a promising premise and ultimately falls short of it, majorly. He attempts to tell the tale of Northern Europe where "identity became a matter of where you were and where you last came from, not some abstract......more

Quotes

“Beautifully written and thoughtfully researched.” Wall Street Journal

“At its most meaningful, history involves a good deal of art and storytelling. Pye’s book is full of both…[With] a mostly forgotten cast of medieval shippers, mauraders, thinkers, and tinkerers, Pye challenges us to consider how we got to be where—and who—we are.” New York Times Book Review

“He writes about difficult concepts with vivid details and stories, often jump-cutting from exposition to drama like a film. It’s complicated, but fun.” Economist (London)

“A double pleasure, first for its unique, illuminating vision of a time largely unknown and misunderstood by modern readers, but even more for its exemplary prose. Pye’s writing is vigorous and precise, the work of a writer who revels in his subject and who nurses a fondness for its many curious byways and paradoxes.” Dallas Morning News

“From a new perspective on the Vikings to an examination of information as a form of currency, Pye’s book offers an engaging and enlightening look at a little understood time and place.” Columbus Dispatch

“Pye’s vivid prose proves that this time was anything but dark.” Explorer’s Journal

“A brilliant history of the Dark Ages showing the growth and development of science, business, fashion, law, politics, and other significant institutions—a joy to read and reread.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Awards

  • New York Times Notable Book
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