Nineteen Days in Autumn

This book triumphantly ticks all the boxes: a hugely entertaining new account by a top-notch scholar of one of the best known but least well understood events in English history: the Norman invasion of 1066. Interspersing the gossipy yarns of early chroniclers with her own clear-eyed and engaging analysis, Goeres introduces us to the unforgettable players in this drama: the devious half-Danish king of England Harold Godwinson, whose own brother Tostig has defected to the Scandinavian side; one-time viking adventurer and now king of Norway, Haraldr Sigurðarson; and William the Conqueror himself. Ranging from Iceland to Kyiv, from Wales to Byzantium, Goeres shows us how in 1066 all roads led, ultimately, to Hastings.

Heather O'Donoghue, Professor Emeritus of Old Norse, University of Oxford

A wonderfully vivid and exciting account, written with verve, authority and sympathy. Erin Goeres' book introduces us to a cast of key characters, brilliantly described locations and explains the historical forces and individual impulses that shape three pivotal weeks in British history.

Carolyne Larrington, Emerita Professor of Medieval European Literature, University of Oxford

Original and vivid, Nineteen Days in Autumn brings the eleventh century to life. Erin Goeres is a sure and careful guide through the historical thicket of the events of 1066. Goeres is also a dazzlingly creative writer, dramatically evoking the personalities of this crucial moment.

Anthony Bale, author of A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages

The real story of 1066, brilliantly told and full of epic drama and bold personalities

Anne Curry, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History, University of Southampton

This is a compelling new account of the most famous year in English history. Erin Goeres draws on her masterful knowledge of the medieval sources to trace the dramatic build-up to the Conquest, not only in England and Normandy but across northern Europe. Written with imagination and flair, this book vividly brings to life the real human stories at the heart of the fateful events of 1066.

Eleanor Parker, author of Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England

A brilliant and compellingly written account of 1066. Erin Goeres guides the reader through the complex politics of the period, while telling a deeply personal narrative of the key players of the Conquest. I tore through it; deeply invested, even if I knew the outcome.

Tabitha Stanmore, author of Cunning Folk

A fiercely atmospheric and immersive account of the pivotal and rapid moments from 1066. Erin Goeres’ book is full of pace and detail. The reader is brilliantly pulled into the fold and is met with unforgettable characters, vivid descriptions of locations, and a thoughtful analysis of the key historical moments that led up to the Battle of Hastings. A real triumph.

Sienna Wells, medieval manuscript dealer and historian