Title – 1066 Turned Upside Down
Author  – Joanna Courtney, Helen Hollick, Annie Whitehead, Anna Belfrage , Alison Morton, Carol McGrath, Eliza Redgold, GK Holloway, Richard Dee
Genre – Historical Fiction /Alternative History
Length –    197 Pages
Publication – 1^st August 2016
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

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 to celebrate the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, the stories will take you on a journey through the wonderful ‘what ifs’ of England’s most famous year in history.        

Review

What a brilliant book this was. I just love the idea that the authors have taken a period in time and let their creative juices flow. 1066 is a fascinating period to read about and to have these authors explore the “what if” was refreshing

I’m a big fan of collections like this, I find then fun to read. Not only do they flow easily since they are self-contained short stories but you also get introduced to some authors you might not previously have heard of. I’ll admit I’ve only read books be three of these authors.. that will soon change.

The book starts with a forward by C.C Humphreys. I’m the first to admit I’ve never really understood the need for these in a book but this one has changed my mind. This forward was witty and fun and perfectly set up the book for me as a reader

Each author tackles at least one story, they each take an event that happened and twist it.. they explore the possibilities that might have occurred if things went differently.

After reading other books I’ve always wondered about the “what ifs” Such as what would have happened if Harold had waited before going to war on that fateful day.. what would have happened if the rest of Harold’s army had arrived in time to engage in the fight..the outcome could have been so different

One of my favourite stories had to be the tale by Richard Dee, the perfect mix of science fiction and historical fiction, where the butterfly effect is explored and that if you could travel back to the past even the slightest change could mean big changes to the future

It was really good to see Annie Whitehead take part in this book also. If you’ve read my reviews you’ll know I’m a fan of hers and her story was particularly enjoyable to read. Her tale focused on the Battle of Fulford where Morcar and Edwin were defeated by Harald Hardrada.. what if this was the other way around??

Each story was well written and allowed the author to play with the events of history and I enjoyed every one of them. I also really liked at the end of each story the reader is given discussion suggestions which raise some interesting thoughts

This book was a gripping read and it’s opened my eyes to more wonderful authors.. I’ll be sure to add some of their books to my TBR list… some i already have 🙂

Any fan of the period who likes the idea of exploring the endless possibilities of what could have happen will enjoy this

You can pre-order the book now for £1.99!

To find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com