Two armies. One kingdom. Only one will win the greatest prize - the jewel of England. Hastings, October 1066. The Normans have landed in Sussex, ready for battle. They have prepared for everything about the English - except their absence… Their enemy, King Harold and his fyrd, are hundreds of miles away, fighting to expel the Viking host in the north. But they have heard that William has landed and rumour is that they are marching back, triumphant and dangerous - and spoiling for a second victory. Back in Sussex, Gilbert, a young scout in William''s army, is sent out in search of the enemy. He is dedicated and ambitious, and determined to be the first with news for his leader. Deep in the English countryside, Edwin, houndsman to King Harold, longs too for glory. He has missed the first battle against the Vikings, but he will not miss the second. He knows his king is about to make history, and he is going to be part of it. And as the action sweeps up towards the hilltop close to Hastings where Harold will plant his standard - defying the Bastard of Normandy to come and get it - the ground is laid for battle. This is the story of the greatest battle ever seen on British soil and of the men who fought it. This is the story of the Battle of Hastings. Praise for The Last Conquest: ''Lovingly written, brilliantly researched, with a sure eye and heart for the characters and the time. These aren''t strangers; they are real people battling with real events'' Robert Low

1066. Stamford Bridge. Two armies. One kingdom. Only one will win the greatest prize - the jewel of England.England, 1066. With the death of Edward the Confessor, the future of England is hanging in the balance. Harold has been crowned king but the country he inherits is menaced by division within and enemies without. In the north, Tostig, Earl of Northumbria, has been expelled by a rebellion. He plots revenge, and threatens to invade at any time and anywhere. To the south there are rumours of William of Normandy massing a force to attack from France. And in Norway, Harald Hardrada, the greatest Viking alive, sees an opportunity in a divided kingdom. Harold will not let his country go without a fight. Charismatic, daring and resourceful, he is determined to make Hardrada the last Viking in England. And so, the bloodiest battle yet fought on English soil is about to begin…

Two armies. One kingdom. Only one will win the greatest prize - the jewel of England. Hastings, October 1066. The Normans have landed in Sussex, ready for battle. They have prepared for everything about the English - except their absence… Their enemy, King Harold and his fyrd, are hundreds of miles away, fighting to expel the Viking host in the north. But they have heard that William has landed and rumour is that they are marching back, triumphant and dangerous - and spoiling for a second victory. Back in Sussex, Gilbert, a young scout in William''s army, is sent out in search of the enemy. He is dedicated and ambitious, and determined to be the first with news for his leader. Deep in the English countryside, Edwin, houndsman to King Harold, longs too for glory. He has missed the first battle against the Vikings, but he will not miss the second. He knows his king is about to make history, and he is going to be part of it. And as the action sweeps up towards the hilltop close to Hastings where Harold will plant his standard - defying the Bastard of Normandy to come and get it - the ground is laid for battle. This is the story of the greatest battle ever seen on British soil and of the men who fought it. This is the story of the Battle of Hastings. Praise for The Last Conquest: ''Lovingly written, brilliantly researched, with a sure eye and heart for the characters and the time. These aren''t strangers; they are real people battling with real events'' Robert Low

1066. Stamford Bridge. Two armies. One kingdom. Only one will win the greatest prize - the jewel of England.England, 1066. With the death of Edward the Confessor, the future of England is hanging in the balance. Harold has been crowned king but the country he inherits is menaced by division within and enemies without. In the north, Tostig, Earl of Northumbria, has been expelled by a rebellion. He plots revenge, and threatens to invade at any time and anywhere. To the south there are rumours of William of Normandy massing a force to attack from France. And in Norway, Harald Hardrada, the greatest Viking alive, sees an opportunity in a divided kingdom. Harold will not let his country go without a fight. Charismatic, daring and resourceful, he is determined to make Hardrada the last Viking in England. And so, the bloodiest battle yet fought on English soil is about to begin…