‘Why can’t museums be more like films?’ wondered 11-year-old John Sunderland.

A maths-failing truant from a West Yorkshire grammar school, John loved art, history, and above all, the magic of cinema. That unlikely combination led him to an extraordinary creative life — from inventing the iconic British TV cartoon character Dusty Bin, to making films with the anarchic comedian Kenny Everett, to becoming the perfect person to solve a problem that baffled British archaeologists: how to bring the 10th-century Viking city of York vividly to life.

In this uproarious, behind-the-scenes memoir, John recounts the creation of the original Jorvik Viking Centre — a project that changed the way archaeology and heritage storytelling are experienced around the world. Told with unremitting Yorkshire wit, On My Way to Jorvik is both a personal coming-of-age story and a front-row seat to a cultural revolution.

Years later, John would turn his attention from Vikings to village life, writing The Last Shepherd’s Dog, an illustrated memoir of escape, belonging, and unexpected magic in a remote Spanish mountain village. Together, the two books trace a lifelong journey of curiosity, creativity, and finding wonder in unlikely places.

‘I couldn’t put it down.’
— Francis Pryor, archaeologist, author, and Time Team presenter

‘The opening of the Jorvik Viking Centre was a watershed moment in the history not only of archaeological heritage management but also of archaeology itself. The buzz among the global community of archaeologists was immediate.’
— Douglas C. Comer, PhD, RPA, Co-President, ICOMOS ICAHM

‘A witty, honest account… hugely entertaining and informative… fascinating behind-the-scenes insight.’
— John Oxley, FSA, City Archaeologist, City of York Council

‘An amusing, thoroughly readable and revealing story of the ride of [John’s] life — including the bumpy bits.’
— Colin C. Pyrah OBE