What's a good book on Spartans or Vikings for a 12 year old...

What's a good book on Spartans or Vikings for a 12 year old? I have a younger cousin who is interested in those subjects and wants to start reading.

Thanks.

Unironically horrible histories.

Largely factual while still being engaging and interesting. Focuses on the type of stuff young guys like about history but covers the general topic area as well.

[spoiler] I read quite a few as a kid, now here I am getting a history masters. Thanks parents. [/spoiler]

fpbp

fpbp
can confirm horrible histories sparked my interest in history as a kid
that being said, it may be worth getting him interested in shit like total war or age of empires given how susceptible kids are to gaming nowadays

I'm sure it's for your "younger cousin".

As a kid, I loved this book for vikings. Lots of pictures and shit.

And for the spartans, I would recommend Osprey Publishings work. That also applies to the Vikings. It's full of illustrations and the text is very easy.

I read Röde Orm (the Long ships) at that age and it helped spark my interest in history.

Good parents.

Osprey may be a little bit too dry for a 12 year old and some of the plates and photographs are very dated in the older books. Probably wouldn't hurt to get them and try though considering how cheap they are.

This is a good suggestion, historical wargames are another good start point. But they have to appreciate it won't all be entirely accurate!

Age of Empires and, say, strong hold crusader are both reasonably good

If you are French speaker there are TONS of comic books based on historical events.
This one is a bit violent/sexy, but the dates, places and names are accurate.

You should unironically educate him by example and do as the Lacedaemonians did and take him as your lover before beating him and introducing him to the agoge. I guarantee this is the best way for him to learn about the Spartans. Do you think any self respecting Spartan would read a book?

Teach him about the Persians instead. They were superior in every way, and are a far more interesting ancient civilization to study.

yeah their culture is so superior it survived until this d-OH WAIT

Give him the Icelandic Sagas, not great for actual historical knowledge, but the stories are amazing to get people into the stuff!

Luwians singlehandedly destroyed egypt and other faggots ez, while persians were absolutely raped by some citystates.

Unironically pic related, the second, and then the first (haven't bought the third, probably won't). Has pictures, stories are relatively short, lots of dumb humor.

Honestly, I recommend these to all of you too. Great books to read on the shitter.

read the first book as a young teen. basically what got me into history in the first place

Does people in Denmark still use spanghelms and travel on drakkars to raid Britain?

Depends on the 12 year old. The cognitive difference between two 12 year olds can be just as immense as between two adults. I'm not saying get them a thick clinical academic work, but I think most 12 year olds can read a proper book. Then again I'm not sure how intelligent the average American 12 year old is compared to the average European, given their education system just seems delayed and shitty compared to Europeans.

However I agree with this. If he just cares about warriors n shit, get stuff like this. I also think general historical encyclopedias with illustrations and images are fun to browse through at any age, and are particularly useful for a child to grasp the general chronology of world history (if they haven't already). Just through looking at soldiers and warriors through the ages, one can already infer a lot.

>mfw the Pachacuti song video isn't on youtube anymore so I have to settle for the audio

the greeks by isaac asimov

me too
*sigh*

Honestly this, especially considering he stated he likes certain iconic warriors like a video game

>Americans can't read
Shut up you eurofag

>video isn't on youtube
life is suffering

Osprey Publishing has a really good array of books from thousands of topics.

NOT advertising, they are just really good books

Technology does not equal culture, bub.

Danes can LARP as Vikings and sail all the longships they want, and they won't be hastily hanged from a crane on orders of a dude with a towel on his head because some mentally ill ancient Arab pedophile said so. Danes don't smash their ancient rune stones or grave finds, they properly celebrate them.

Give him translations of islandic sagas they are totally apropiate for kids