Oathbreakers

The War of Brothers That Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe

De: Matthew Gabriele, David M. Perry

Narrado por: Paul Bellantoni

""This is a serious, meticulous history that will also appeal to Game of Thrones fans, who will discover intriguing parallels between history and fiction.” — Booklist

""An enlightening portrait of the medieval mindset.” — Publishers Weekly

The authors of The Bright Ages return with a real-life Game of Thrones—the story of the Carolingian Civil War, a bloody, protracted battle pitting brother against brother, father against son, that would end an empire, upend a continent, and redefine the future of Europe

By the early ninth century, the Carolingian empire was at the height of its power. The Franks, led by Charlemagne, had built the largest European domain since Rome in its heyday. Though they jockeyed for power, prestige, and profit, the Frankish elites enjoyed political and cultural consensus. But just two generations later, their world was in shambles. Civil war, once an unthinkable threat, had erupted after Louis the Pious’s sons tried to overthrow him—and then placed their knives at the other’s neck. Families who had once charged into battle together now drew each other’s blood.

The Carolingian Civil War would rage for years as kings fought kings, brother faced off against brother, and sons challenged fathers. Oathbreakers is the dramatic history of this brutal, turbulent time. Medieval historians David M. Perry and Matthew Gabriele illuminate what happens when a once unshakeable political and cultural order breaks down and long suppressed tensions flare into deadly violence. Drawn from rich primary sources, featuring a wide cast of characters, packed with dramatic twists and turns, this is history that rivals the greatest fictional epics—with consequences that continue to shape our own world.

Oathbreakers offers lessons of what deep cracks in a once-stable social and political fabric might reveal, and the bloody consequences of disagreeing on facts and reality. The Civil War at the heart of this tale asks: who is “in” and who is “out”? And what happens when things fall apart?

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

History made amusing

Sometimes history can be tongue in cheek and the author wasn't afraid to show that. It was such a breezy listen, I forgot at times it was a history lesson, not fiction.

An Empire Built on Sand...

An interesting look at the later half of Charlemagne's empire and the cracks that formed, eventually leading to multiple rebellions, coups, and eventually a civil war between his grandchildren from which the Carolingians would never recover. The birth of France and Germany? Probably not. But definitely early whispers towards a new Europe.
Well narrated by Paul B. Certainly worth a read!

Amazing history of generations of conflict

This book was billed as a ‘real game of thrones’ and while it doesn’t quite merit that fantastic level of comparison it could make a fabulous series over multiple seasons following the lives and adventures of the sons of Louis the Pious with a later prequel series on Charlemagne. The main challenge of the book is that it would have been so much more enjoyable as historical fiction. But when you step back and think about how the authors piece the story together, offering perspectives of different factions, peasants, and later generations, you can appreciate some of the rich cultural complexity and the human aspirations and vulnerabilities of everyone involved. It’s a very worthwhile read/ listen.

Very interesting

Love it. Learn a lot. The writing is interesting and engaging. If you want to learn about 9th century Europe this is a must listen.

Not just a story but a discussion

First class account of history.
Instead of just giving a record of Events as seen on one account, the writer discussed matters in doubt and left the reader to consider several possibilities explaining where the sources were in doubt.
I also liked the way he stressed that though certain events had occurred, if the main protagonist are taken different decisions history would have been very different. This is something many historical writers do not suggest.