1066 Turned Upside Down

By Joanna Courtney et al., 2016,

“‘William the Bastard’ he said coldly. Duke William of Normandy looked up at Harold, his eyes white with fury and hatred. ‘Harold Oath-breaker,’ he answered with a defiant sneer.”

Several short stories depicting alternate timelines where Duke William's invasion of England came to a standstill by the means of brave warriors, shrewd spies, wise queens and kings or even a random time-traveler.

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. I found this alternate history fiction original, well-written and lastly that it taught us a good history lesson.

1. This is not a classic uchronia. Whereas many writers are basically male sci-fi writers, 1066's contributors are mostly women who have been working in historical fiction. Moreover, except from the Alison Morton's story, they focused on the divergence point, while in classic alternate stories it is often just mentioned and not described. The stories happen on the day when all changed and not a hundred years after. Consequently, it looks rather like historical fiction where historical figures and events can be found in the novel.

2. It was easy to read thanks to a good organisation between parts. Each part deals with one month in 1066, where a divergence point occurs, so that the whole year is covered by the book. The stories are independent and can be read individually, each author has its own style of turning 1066 upside down, and it makes the book dynamic. I advice however to read it as a whole to follow the real story of the Norman Invasion.

3. I learned a lot about the history of Anglo-Norman England. As a French and lover of Normandy, I always had a positive opinion about William the Conqueror, what the authors dispute without exception. Conversely they praise secondary plots like the siege of London and characters like Tosting Godwinson or Ealdgyth, the wife of Harold Godwinson. On top of that, the book provides book clubs and schools with interesting discussion points. For example, would England be like the Scandinavian countries if it never had been invaded?

All in all, a nice collection of short stories.

#Questions : Do you like William the Conqueror?

Have a good week!