Oathbreakers

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

By: Matthew Gabriele, David M. Perry

Narrated by: 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.

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.

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!

The drama is exceptional

A family tragedy that divided an empire is collected from fragments and presents its protagonists as making fateful decisions with long term consequences. The Carolingians and the Dark Ages 600 ce-1000 ce are difficult for modern people to really grasp, this illuminates the breakup of the empire. Though I would have liked more of a picture of day to day life the glimpses in the books are vivid.

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.

how in-depth they went

loved it. I liked how detailed they were and still told the history in a way that it didn't feel allegorical