What do you think?
Rate this book
Nineteen Days in Autumn: A New History of 1066 – The Extraordinary True Story of the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest, as seen in the Bayeux Tapestry
THE DEFINITIVE, CHARACTER-LED HISTORY OF THE MOST FAMOUS YEAR IN ENGLISH HISTORY – 1066
On 5 January 1066, Edward the Confessor’s death plunged England into a succession crisis that would change the kingdom forever. Mere hours after Edward’s remains had been laid to rest, his brother-in-law Harold II seized power, inciting the wrath of two formidable King Haraldr Sigurðarson of Norway and Edward’s ambitious cousin, William, Duke of Normandy.
In this startling new history, Dr Erin Goeres unveils the intense drama that unfolded, culminating in the tumultuous nineteen days between the battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings in the autumn of 1066, and which led to the deaths of two monarchs and the end of Anglo-Scandinavian rule in England.
Drawing together sources from the three regions at the heart of the fray – England, Normandy and Scandinavia – Goeres uncovers the complex histories, characters and motivations that drove these conflicts. We discover the stories of Tostig Godwinson, Harold II’s estranged brother; of William the Conqueror’s enigmatic wife, Matilda of Flanders, alleged lover of Harold of England; and we meet the regular people swept up in events beyond their control, such as an English farmer beheaded for his unwillingness to give up his fur-lined coat to a Norwegian invader.
Nineteen Days in Autumn is a gripping tale of three nations entwined and the enthralling yet devastating consequences of their unravelling.
'A thrilling journey' ALICE LOXTON
'Dazzlingly creative' ANTHONY BALE
'Visceral, thrilling and unexpectedly gripping given we all know the outcome!' EMMA SOUTHON
'With more treachery, tragedy and cliffhangers than an episode of Game of Thrones, Nineteen Days in Autumn makes for an exhilarating read' HETTA HOWES
'Erin Goeres is a stunning new voice in medieval history' SUZANNAH LIPSCOMB
'Brilliant and compelling' TABITHA STANMORE
Erin Goeres 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
On 5 January 1066, Edward the Confessor’s death plunged England into a succession crisis that would change the kingdom forever. Mere hours after Edward’s remains had been laid to rest, his brother-in-law Harold II seized power, inciting the wrath of two formidable King Haraldr Sigurðarson of Norway and Edward’s ambitious cousin, William, Duke of Normandy.
In this startling new history, Dr Erin Goeres unveils the intense drama that unfolded, culminating in the tumultuous nineteen days between the battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings in the autumn of 1066, and which led to the deaths of two monarchs and the end of Anglo-Scandinavian rule in England.
Drawing together sources from the three regions at the heart of the fray – England, Normandy and Scandinavia – Goeres uncovers the complex histories, characters and motivations that drove these conflicts. We discover the stories of Tostig Godwinson, Harold II’s estranged brother; of William the Conqueror’s enigmatic wife, Matilda of Flanders, alleged lover of Harold of England; and we meet the regular people swept up in events beyond their control, such as an English farmer beheaded for his unwillingness to give up his fur-lined coat to a Norwegian invader.
Nineteen Days in Autumn is a gripping tale of three nations entwined and the enthralling yet devastating consequences of their unravelling.
'A thrilling journey' ALICE LOXTON
'Dazzlingly creative' ANTHONY BALE
'Visceral, thrilling and unexpectedly gripping given we all know the outcome!' EMMA SOUTHON
'With more treachery, tragedy and cliffhangers than an episode of Game of Thrones, Nineteen Days in Autumn makes for an exhilarating read' HETTA HOWES
'Erin Goeres is a stunning new voice in medieval history' SUZANNAH LIPSCOMB
'Brilliant and compelling' TABITHA STANMORE
Erin Goeres 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Audible Audio
First published August 27, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy
It has definitely been published, is on sale in bookshops and was borrowable from the library, and it's worth reading! Rather than going deeper on the Battle of Hastings itself, it covers more detail on the personalities involved, including for instance much more than I previously knew about Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson.
Review of advance copy
Not sure where I start with this one. But, not in a bad way.
It was a good book. It was well written, and very easy to read and digest. This is not an academic tome although the text does provide reference to, and quotes from, various contemporary or close to contemporary sources as possible (ie, the Viking sagas and the Anglo Saxon Chronicles).
It reads like a fireside chat, and I mean that in the nicest of possible ways. Reading this book was often very much like sitting down with someone in their old age and listening to them tell you the story of what happened to them when they were young.
Did it tell me anything new? I've read a lot of books on the events and people of 1066, so for me, not really. Although, it did remind me of things that I had forgotten. It was like putting on a jumper that you haven’t worn for ages and remembering how nice and comfortable it is.
Erin Goeres provides a good pre 1066 background on the key players, without getting bogged down. The book lays out the major and some minor acts from the death of Edward through to Harold’s defeat, with some nice rounding up of the next few years in the epilogue. The battles at Fulford, Stamford Bridge, and Hastings are quite well described, and Erin Goeres doesn’t pull too many punches about the blood and lost limbs - but without it reading too gory.
There are a few ‘we don’t really know what happened here because the facts aren’t known, or the histories are vague, or they conflict’, but this isn't overused, and you don't lose get lost in the 'maybe this, maybe that, maybe something else' meanderings of an author trying to cover all historical bases.
Erin Goeres asks some interesting questions about William’s timing of his departure, and whether this was really down to the weather, or if he knew what Haraldr was up to and wanted to give Haraldr time to be a perfect distraction. Also if his being blown off course was in fact real, or whether it was planned.
There are some ‘conversations’ between people that have been extrapolated from the historical accounts, which annoyed me the first time I read one… but then came the source of the conversation (ie a Norse saga), and it actually fit pretty well.
I think the author has written a pretty good book. It’s a nice little addition to my book shelf, and while it didn’t add huge amounts to my knowledge base, it left me feeling rather sad for what was lost when Harold and England lost to William.
If someone who did not know much about the Norman invasion asked me today for a good book for them to start their 1066 journey of learning, this is the book I would point them to.
It was a good book. It was well written, and very easy to read and digest. This is not an academic tome although the text does provide reference to, and quotes from, various contemporary or close to contemporary sources as possible (ie, the Viking sagas and the Anglo Saxon Chronicles).
It reads like a fireside chat, and I mean that in the nicest of possible ways. Reading this book was often very much like sitting down with someone in their old age and listening to them tell you the story of what happened to them when they were young.
Did it tell me anything new? I've read a lot of books on the events and people of 1066, so for me, not really. Although, it did remind me of things that I had forgotten. It was like putting on a jumper that you haven’t worn for ages and remembering how nice and comfortable it is.
Erin Goeres provides a good pre 1066 background on the key players, without getting bogged down. The book lays out the major and some minor acts from the death of Edward through to Harold’s defeat, with some nice rounding up of the next few years in the epilogue. The battles at Fulford, Stamford Bridge, and Hastings are quite well described, and Erin Goeres doesn’t pull too many punches about the blood and lost limbs - but without it reading too gory.
There are a few ‘we don’t really know what happened here because the facts aren’t known, or the histories are vague, or they conflict’, but this isn't overused, and you don't lose get lost in the 'maybe this, maybe that, maybe something else' meanderings of an author trying to cover all historical bases.
Erin Goeres asks some interesting questions about William’s timing of his departure, and whether this was really down to the weather, or if he knew what Haraldr was up to and wanted to give Haraldr time to be a perfect distraction. Also if his being blown off course was in fact real, or whether it was planned.
There are some ‘conversations’ between people that have been extrapolated from the historical accounts, which annoyed me the first time I read one… but then came the source of the conversation (ie a Norse saga), and it actually fit pretty well.
I think the author has written a pretty good book. It’s a nice little addition to my book shelf, and while it didn’t add huge amounts to my knowledge base, it left me feeling rather sad for what was lost when Harold and England lost to William.
If someone who did not know much about the Norman invasion asked me today for a good book for them to start their 1066 journey of learning, this is the book I would point them to.
October 23, 2026
Nineteen Days in Autumn is an accessible and engaging account of one of the most familiar turning points in English history. Erin Goeres handles the crowded cast, competing claims and rapid succession of battles with impressive clarity, creating a strong narrative without abandoning careful discussion of the surviving medieval sources. Her use of Harald Sigurdsson is particularly helpful in distinguishing him from Harold Godwinson, while the treatment of Harold's relationship with Tostig gave me a greater interest in the English king himself. My main reservation is that, despite its promise of a new history, the book offered little that felt genuinely new to me beyond its presentation. Nevertheless, it is balanced, readable and clearly informed by considerable knowledge of medieval warfare and society.
Review of advance copy
Fantastic read! I got the book after listening to the author on “You’re dead to me” and bought the version that is available in the UK (Goodreads has the publication date in Jan 2027, but I think that may be the US?). It was surprisingly entertaining for a history book; seemed very well researched and very rich in facts, while still making it very approachable for a “non-historian” like me. Already bought another book (I like to hoard mine) for a friend of mine who is really into the history of England. Highly recommend it!
October 28, 2026
I found the tone of this book very hard to take. Half the time it was a 'normal' history book, with an impressive list of source materials described a the back. The rest of the time it was a historical novel, with the main characters talking to each other in made-up conversations. Because of this dichotomy, I found it difficult to take this book seriously.
It's a well-worn story, and I don't think I leaned anything new is this reading. it never really touched on the central question about 1066 - why did William of Normandy think he had any claim to the English throne in the first place?
It's a well-worn story, and I don't think I leaned anything new is this reading. it never really touched on the central question about 1066 - why did William of Normandy think he had any claim to the English throne in the first place?
Review of advance copy
This is a compelling and accessible read. It is well written using a range of sources to piece together the dramatic events of 1066, explore the different claimants to the English throne and place it all into the wider context. I liked that it focused on a variety of people referred in the historical record such as Matilda of Flanders and Tostig Godwinson. I would recommend the audiobook because it is narrated by the author.
September 16, 2026
I think the author has a thing for Harald Hardrada, and Tostig Godwinson seems like a chump.
This is my type of history, one that brings historical figures to life by weaving a narrative inspired by contemporary accounts, while also expanding, probing and critiquing the same narratives from a modern perspective.
This is my type of history, one that brings historical figures to life by weaving a narrative inspired by contemporary accounts, while also expanding, probing and critiquing the same narratives from a modern perspective.
Review of advance copy
This is a brilliant book. Exquisitely researched, thoroughly engaging, and brilliantly paced. The author has used Norman, English, and Scandinavian sources to create a balanced and novel approach to a subject I have read books on several times. I've come away with a different opinion on certain events, and I've been further educated about others. Highly recommended.
September 17, 2026
Interesting.
Review of advance copy
A good read, clear and concise. An excellent narrative of the seminal events of 1066.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews