Is 1066 just the Battle of Hastings? Far from it. The war for the English crown was a year-long apocalypse. Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega dissect history's ultimate succession crisis. Follow King Harold as he crushes a Viking armada at Stamford Bridge, only to face William the Conqueror’s brutal heavy cavalry just weeks later. From shattered shield walls to a Christmas coronation that literally went up in flames, Matt and Eleanor relive the ruthless reality of 1066.

00:00 Introduction

01:27 Edward the Confessor's Death and the Succession Crisis

04:34 Harold Godwinson's Claim to the English Throne

09:44 Harald Hardrada and the Viking Invasion

13:17 Tostig's Betrayal and the Battle of Fulford

18:28 The Battle of Stamford Bridge: Harold's Viking Victory

24:31 William of Normandy's Invasion of England

26:18 Harold's Oath and William's Claim to the Crown

34:45 The Battle of Hastings: Tactics, Shield Walls, and Norman Cavalry

43:24 The Death of Harold Godwinson and the Fight for London

49:07 William the Conqueror's Coronation and London's Fire

54:24 Why 1066 Changed English History Forever

Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Matthew Wilson. Produced by McKenna Fernandez. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. The Channel Manager is Tilda Furubrink.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

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