1066 Turned Upside Down

Ever wondered what might have happened if William the Conqueror had been beaten at Hastings? Or if Harald Hardrada had won at Stamford Bridge? Or if Edward the Confessor had died with an heir ready to take his place? Then here is the perfect set of stories for you. ‘1066 Turned Upside Down’ explores a variety of ways in which the momentous year of 1066 could have played out differently. Written by nine well-known authors the stories will take you on a journey through the wonderful ‘what ifs’ of England’s most famous year in history. The real joy of a collection of stories like this is, of course, that you are likely to be introduced to writers you may not have come across before. 1066 Turned Upside Down is the exemplar for how counterfactual history should be done, combining the best elements of fiction and non-fiction to create an immensely impressive achievement. I can only hope that we see more anthologies like this and that it is used as a template by future authors and publishers. This is a brilliant anthology. The stories add an alternative twist to one of England’s most important events – the Anglo Saxon loss to the Normans at the Battle of Hastings– with the question, what if? All the stories are richly drawn and for those who aren’t familiar with what really happened, an author’s note is included with each story so you know what was changed. Well worth a read.