The five seas of the Atlantic - the Bay of Biscay, the Irish Sea, the English Channel, the North and Baltic Seas - played a colossal role in the development of Europe. Archibald R. Lewis's book explores the history of shipping and trade in the Nordic countries during the early Middle Ages. Analyzing historical chronicles, literary sources, as well as reports on archaeological research and numismatic finds in numerous treasures of the Viking Age, the professor examines the historical processes that resulted in the formation of new economic and cultural ties between the countries of Western Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltic and Kievan Rus and the formation of modern European civilization. The publishing layout is saved in PDF A4 format.