 |
| Available for all e-readers and now in Paperback |
1066 is the most known year in English history, and the most intriguing. It represents a key turning point: a year in which everything was up for grabs, a year in which England's historical story could have gone any number of ways - a year of ‘what ifs’.
What if King Edward's great-nephew, Edgar, had been thought old enough to rule, and chosen as king? What if the Northern Earls has defeated the Norwegian, Harald Hardrada and King Harold's own brother, Tostig, at Gate Fulford - or what if Harald Hardrada had won the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire? What if Harold had defeated the Normans at sea? What if Svein of Denmark had invaded or a mysterious European political power had intervened? What if William had died when he was unhorsed at Hastings or had been defeated at London Bridge in November? What if the Bayeux Tapestry carries a hidden, secret meaning about the truth of 1066 - or a time machine could alter the past?
So much could have been different and now, at last, we can explore some of those 'what ifs' in this exciting collection of ‘virtual history’ short stories, written by known and loved writers of the period (and a few from outside it) to celebrate the 950th anniversary of this incredible year.
Our authors are:
Helen Hollick, author of multiple historical and pirate novels, non-fiction pirates and smugglers, a new series of cosy mysteries set in the 1970s and including Harold the King - the story of the events that led to the Battle of Hastings
Joanna Courtney, author of the Queens of the Conquest series
Anna Belfrage, Historical Novel Society Indie Award Winner 2015, author of the Graham Saga and several other superb series
Richard Dee, fantasy sci-fi and steampunk author
G K Holloway, author of 1066: What Fates Impose
Carol McGrath, author of The Daughters of Hastings trilogy and other series of historical fiction
Alison Morton, author of the Roma Nova alternative history and contemporary thrillers
Eliza Redgold, author of Naked, a novel of Lady Godiva and several other novels
Annie Whitehead, is a history graduate and writes about Mercia and Saxon England in both fiction and non-fiction
 |
with a foreword by writer and actor
Chris (C.C.) Humphreys has played Hamlet in Calgary, a gladiator in Tunisia, waltzed in London's West End, conned the landlord of the Rovers Return in Coronation Street, Walked the Sun Hill beat in The Bill, commanded a starfleet in Andromeda, voiced Salem the cat in the original Sabrina, and is a dead immortal in Highlander.
He has written several historical fiction novels including:
The French Executioner, runner-up the CWA Steel Dagger for Thrillers; Chasing the Wind; The Jack Absolute Trilogy; Vlad - The Last Confession; A Place Called Armageddon and Shakespeare's Rebel which he adapted into a play and which premiered at Bard on the Beach, Vancouver, in 2015.
Plague won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel in Canada in 2015. Chris has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.
He is now writing epic fantasy with the Immortals' Blood Trilogy, for Gollancz. The first two books, Smoke in the Glass and The Coming of the Dark are now published. The epic finale, The Wars of Gods and Men will be out in 2022.
Several of his novels are available as Audiobooks - read by himself! He has a new novel just out: One London Day - a modern London Noir. Quite a different adventure.
Chris lives in a forest overlooking a fjord on Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada.
website: http://www.authorchrishumphreys.com/
The collection of stories includes historical notes of what really did happen alongside the fictional re-interpretations, as well as authors' notes on what fascinates them about 1066 and why they chose to 'change' what they did.
Each story has a few suggestions for 'discussion' points for schools, writer's groups - or just your own curiosity!
OUR COVER... BEFORE YOU SAY IT...
 |
| Original stock image ©wjarek - Fotolia yes we know the helmet might be more suited to a different period but its eye-catching, and after all we DO have a time-travel story in our collection... |
where to buy
 |
| Top row L-R Joanna, Anna, Helen, Alison next row: Eliza, Richard, Carole, G.K. Holloway, Annie |
(award winning) Cover and graphics designed by Cathy Helms, www.avalongraphics.org
More articles related to 1066
and the 11th century
that might be of interest:
* step back into Anglo Saxon England with Annie Whitehead and Helen Hollick - start here:
*Did the English Fleet meet the Normans mid-Channel by Helen Hollick
*5th January the event that started it all by Helen Hollick
* Bishop Odo Nice or nasty by Helen Hollick
* Hereward The real Robin Hood?
"On the 28 September 1066, around 7,000 soldiers from Northern France landed on the Sussex coast. Led by William, the Duke of Normandy, they were soon to launch a battle that would become one of the most famous in all of English History – the Battle of Hastings.
The bloody day of fighting on the 14 October proved to be a cataclysmic event in English history: a decisive turning point which transformed England forever.
The legacy of this brutal conquest - the last time England was successfully invaded – pervades many aspects of our language and culture today."
Professor Robert Bartlett
Start the posts here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zx2c4j6
