Reenactor's Library (of physical books)

 Frankly, most of the research I read (I don't research, I read other's research) is via PDFs of papers I find online. 

That said I do have, and always have had, a physical library of books. This past weekend I went through my little dedicated shelf of Viking books. First I needed a refresher of what I have. Second I needed to separate non-Viking books from the dedicated Viking book shelf... because I am like that. I am a legal records specialist professionally for gawt-sakes!

I pulled all my coffee table books first. I put those someplace else as they have cool pictures but no real references. I did not take a picture of them but they are like this:

Also included are some older books I have that also have info in them but newer information and discoveries have been made so the books are now just a statement of the organic nature of what we do as recreators and how we move on when newer and better information comes out. I might just donate those to a thrift shop.

This may rub people the wrong way but I need to make this statement about myself and my own habits and predilections: I am not identified by my bookshelf and am not impressed with others. It also annoys me, some, when others go on and on about how much they read like it is some litmus test or badge of higher-being.
 
I understand the need of a human to express themselves and advertise "what I am" - I'm a metalhead and I wear a metal patch vest (which I refuse to call a kutte or battle vest). This vest does give me some stature in some crowds but I also know it does not matter to most. Ultimately it's there for me and it is mine and has no agency over others.

Gretchen and Gabe - my 48th birthday and a Thulsa Doom Cult cake. Weird angle in this pic, my forehead typically does not look like that.

I don't care about your bookshelf. My bookshelf is a place I keep books I need to do things I do. I sell and donate and gift books regularly... even purge books. If it is not an important reference or something I am actively reading than it needs to go. I need space for my GI Joe action figure collection.

That out of the way - my books:

Above my work bench and to the left of my desk is this small shelf and stack. These are the books I currently refer to on a regualr basis and keep within my reach when sitting at my desk or work bench.

From top to bottom:
Sven Skillbiter's Historical Replica Constructions in Wood and Metal. Currently looking into a few wood projects this year and this book is handy.
Viking Weapons and Warfare by J. Kim Siddorn. Good pictures of reenactors and their interpretations of weaponry.
The Vikings Of Ribe. It took me a while to find a copy in decent condition not for an inflated price. Finally got one 2 years ago and an excellent reference to pictures that I can follow up with online seraches. I focus on Ribe and the Danish west coast when I can and this book is a great place to start for that.

Arwidsson and Berg's The Mastermyr Find. If you like historical tools, this book (and find) is important to you.
The venerable An Early Meal by Serra and Tunberg. They are doing good work *chef kiss*

At the bottom a few volumes of GI Joe comic collections and a spiral book of basic leather work... basically what tools are called, what stitches do what and how to make them, grains and weights... stuff like that.

Next up are my "back row" books. I don't get into them much and many are on the edge of getting purged but I don't feel like doing that yet. A few are pretty new as well but living the life of reference but not immediate nor pertaining to what exactly I'm doing right now as a reenactor. Some are just good as permanent references. I wont list these but you can see them for yourself. I will note a few though:

Stepping Through Time. This is an indespensible resource in general if you want to know the basics of shoes in historical Europe.

Viking Clothing. Like Stepping, the base resource for recreating clothing from the Viking Age. All the basics you need to know are in this book. If you want to specialize or expand this will lead you in the right direction.
Last book on the right is a book cataloging a large amount of finds in Iceland. The diaspora of Iceland being early medival Scandis from other lands, this is a good resource for cross referencing. It's in Icelandic though and I don't read that language. Pictures are great and basic info can be gleened from those notes and captions.

My bookshelves, being Ikea cubical ones (I forget the scandi name they have), I double stack my books. Not ideal but it is what it is when you live in a smallish urban apartment with a wife and kid.

I consistently read and reference literature and sagas and these are the ones I am into the most. Gwen Jones' History of the Vikings is just a good starting point for many things and a great place to get answers to basic questions. Bayeux Tapestry is just fun to look through and so much nuance of material culture, time frame issues and context in play, can be theorized via this resource.

And that is my current library.