The rise of the Viking Kingdom of Norway is one of the most exciting medieval accounts in history. It traces the lives of Twelve Kings, from the notorious Viking Age to the High Middle Ages, each with their own unique impact on Scandinavia - and the world. Their boundless lives involve dramatic power struggles, fierce battles, love affairs, bitter betrayals, and daring voyages into the unknown. This is an extraordinary story of how a Viking Kingdom was forged, transformed, and ultimately, collapsed.

"In this brisk and riveting-and not a little bloody-read, Simon Vincent recounts how Norway was forged through the lives of twelve of its most remarkable men-Founders and Forgers, all of them Kings. Fusing the passion of the sagas with the accuracy of scholarship, Vincent succeeds in providing us with a narrative that is as entertaining as it is edifying. As he writes, here is the 'real game of thrones.'" - Raymond Ibrahim, best-selling author.

"Not since my childhood have I read such a comprehensive and exciting narrative on Norwegian history. The concept - a depiction of how the Norwegian state emerged, flourished, and then collapsed in the late Middle Ages - is very good." - Halvor Tj nn, historian and author.

Simon Vincent is a Norwegian author and film maker. He holds an MSc. from Cass Business School, City University of London.