In The Beginning of Scandinavian Settlement in England, Shane McLeod offers a much needed reevaluation of the Scandinavian settlement of England during the ninth century. While many previous studies have focused on later generations of Scandinavian settlers, McLeod focuses specifically on the campaigns of the Viking “Great Army” and the settlement period of 865–900. This publication represents a timely contribution to recent discussions of the nature of the Great Army and its role during this influential period of history.

McLeod's discussion, utilizing tenets from migration theory, seeks to investigate and better understand the origins of the Scandinavian settlers and their seemingly rapid adoption of Anglo-Saxon culture. He begins with a comprehensive and nuanced discussion of terminology, including the consideration of problematic distinctions such as those between the terms Viking and Scandinavian. McLeod then outlines the focus of the book (which is based on his doctoral thesis) and the range of primary sources available, paying particular attention to the contemporaneous and comparative written sources from which evidence can be extrapolated. Here and elsewhere throughout, he draws upon and critiques a wide range of data.

McLeod introduces nine tenets deriving from migration theory, providing a theoretical framework for the discussion that follows. A comprehensive examination of migration models and their applicability to the study is provided. Four of the tenets are considered of being of limited use to the study, but five others are selected as being relevant in the case of the Scandinavian settlements. Elements of these include prior contact with target settlement areas and the use of scouts, the use of migration chains, and the use of “leapfrogging” during travel from home to the final settlement destination. Additionally, McLeod emphasizes that migratory flows tend to continue beyond the initial settlements, that migrants represent a select group of home populations, that migrants have migrated previously, and that they may return to their place of origin. Throughout this discussion, McLeod evaluates how the characteristics of Scandinavian migrant groups conform to these tenets, again providing a foundation for further discussion.

Having outlined the theory underpinning the study, McLeod considers the likely origins of the Great Army and subsequent settlers, suggesting that these might have included groups that originated from, or had previously been operating in, Ireland and Frisia. In an attempt to provide a more complete overview of participants, he also considers motivations behind migration, arguing that there may have been numerous influences that encouraged migrants to travel to England.

A second major component of the study focuses on the Great Army's use of client kings during the campaigning and early settlement period. McLeod considers this to have been influenced by the Scandinavian exposure to the concept while operating on the Continent and in England. McLeod presents a compelling argument, outlining the economic and strategic advantages that would have been provided by the use of client kings, such as being able to control conquered territories without the need for direct military involvement. However, it must also be recognized that some aspects of these developments might simply relate to the necessity placed on the Great Army while on campaign to ensure security in previously conquered territories. As such, the army's actions may not reflect a culturally influenced strategy as much as a situation-specific adaptation to circumstances encountered in the field.

McLeod goes on to discuss the concept of acculturation and its effects on interactions between the Anglo Saxons and Scandinavian settlers. He notes, quite rightly, that acculturation was likely a two-way process, with settlers not only adapting to Anglo-Saxon culture but also acting in innovative ways. This may be reflected, for example, in the production of Anglo-Saxon coinage styles in areas such as East Anglia and the creation of territorial buffer zones in Northumbria. Given the ephemerality of the available evidence, McLeod's discussion and interpretation is nuanced and balanced. Some concepts, such as the possibility that eastern Mercia was divided into a “greater” East Anglia and Scandinavian Northumbria, are thought provoking and deserve greater consideration within the context of the longer-term Scandinavian settlement.

The final theme considered is the Scandinavian acculturation to Christianity. Like other aspects of insular and European culture, it is argued that the trappings of Christianity were adopted in order to legitimize elites and ease the transition to Scandinavian rule. It is also suggested that a familiarity with Christianity gained while operating on the Continent prior to arriving in England, as well as exposure during the campaigning period, would have contributed to this. While acknowledging that acculturation does not correlate to the adoption of Christian beliefs, McLeod may occasionally overstate the significance of suggested evidence for the Scandinavian adoption of Christian practices—for example when discussing some of the burials associated with the Great Army at Repton (Derbyshire). Nonetheless, the acculturation to Christianity represents one aspect of the Great Army's campaigns and the Scandinavian settlement that certainly warrants further discussion. McLeod's arguments provide a solid foundation upon which future debates might develop.

In sum, this publication provides a comprehensive, nuanced, and balanced consideration of the archaeological and historical evidence relating to the early Scandinavian settlements of England. The utilization of migration theory is novel and demonstrably provides a useful avenue through which other aspects of the Viking diaspora might be investigated. McLeod's conclusions are undoubtedly significant and are likely to drive further consideration and debate for some time. This book therefore represents an important addition to the bibliography of any archaeologist or historian who wishes to investigate the Viking diaspora, the Great Army, and the Scandinavian settlement of England.