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Nineteen Days in Autumn

A New History of 1066
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Nineteen Days in Autumn

By: Erin Goeres
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Brought to you by Penguin.

The definitive character-led history of the most famous year in history.

On 5 January 1066, Edward the Confessor's death plunged the nation into a succession crisis that would indelibly change England 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 challengers: King Haraldr 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 over 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, ending a centuries-long Anglo-Scandinavian rule.

Drawing on sources from England, Normandy and Scandinavia, Goeres uncovers complex histories, characters, and motivations. We meet the women at the heart of the fray – such as William's enigmatic wife, Matilda of Flanders, the alleged lover of Harold of England and the ‘driving force’ behind her husband's invasion – as well as the regular people who were swept up in events beyond their control, such as a farmer, beheaded for an unwillingness to give his jacket to a Norwegian invader.

Nineteen Days in Autumn is a gripping tale of three nations entwined, the devastating consequences of their unravelling and the subsequent memorialisation of this saga, which has given rise to the nationalistic myths of today.

© Erin Goeres 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

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Critic reviews

A thrilling journey that forces you to see the events of 1066 with new eyes. This is history as it should be written. I loved it! (Alice Loxton)
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)
Nineteen Days in Autumn is the 1066 book I always wanted: visceral, thrilling and unexpectedly gripping given we all know the outcome! All three claimants to the English throne are brought to life as complex humans with their own motivations and the chaos of the year feels vivid and alive (Emma Southon)
With more treachery, tragedy and cliffhangers than an episode of Game of Thrones, Nineteen Days in Autumn makes for an exhilarating read. Thanks to its vivid characterisation and pacey prose, it feels like a novel - but the staggering amount of research underpinning its twists and turns reminds us that this is fact, not fiction. If you think you know what happened in 1066 think again - and pick up this book. Nineteen Days in Autumn promises to be a smash hit (Hetta Howes)
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)
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)
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)
In Nineteen Days in Autumn, Erin Goeres has achieved the near-impossible: finding something fresh and original to say about 1066. Her elegant, lively prose tells the stories of all three claimants to the English throne, and her equal treatment of the often overlooked Viking invasion in the north provides a whole new perspective on the events of that momentous year. (Catherine Hanley)
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)
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