Oathbreakers - by Matthew Gabriele & David M Perry

Book Synopsis

"Fascinating." -- The Wall Street Journal

"An enlightening portrait of the medieval mindset." -- Publishers Weekly

The authors of The Bright Ages return with a "real-life Game of Thrones" (New York Times Book Review)--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?

Review Quotes

"Though the events in Oathbreakers are distant in time, Gabriele and Perry describe them with an immediacy that's both informative and entertaining. . . . [revealing] that the emotions driving the actors in the Carolingian drama--ambition, greed, and the lust for power--are in fact as timely as today's headlines." -- Shelf Awareness

"Through subtle readings of biased chronicles and documents, Gabriele and Perry dispel the romantic aura of the Carolingian era, depicting it as an entertaining but gruesome medieval picaresque of power-hungry plots, murders, and--stomach-churningly--blindings. The authors also shrewdly explore the Franks' genuine belief in the sacredness of kingship--and especially of royal oaths--that kept such a violent system in motion. The result is an enlightening portrait of the medieval mindset." -- Publishers Weekly

"Lively writers, the authors cast a critical eye on the surviving sources, delivering a painless education on how historians try to determine what actually happened from fragmentary and wildly biased accounts. A scholarly and entertaining history of warring brothers." -- Kirkus

"Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry do an excellent job of detailing a complex story of shifting alliances and bitter conflict, creating an intricate portrait of Medieval strife that rivals any episode of Game of Thrones. Oathbreakers is historical writing at its finest." -- Chicago Review of Books, "12 Must-Read Books of December 2024"

"The 'Holy Roman Empire' reached a state of peace, however tenuous. But Charlemagne's heirs had greater ambitions. The empire fell into civil war, as sons fought fathers and one another. This set the stage for Europe's Middle Ages. Historians Gabriele and Perry (The Bright Ages, 2022) plumb resources from the era to narrate the story of these internecine struggles....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

"Full of twists and turns, family feuds, and destabilizing coups, the authors make the ninth century come alive with an engaging read that doesn't skimp on academic rigor." -- Arlington Magazine, "10 New Books to Read in December"

"While all of this is the sort of stuff that professional medievalists love to see, the thing I like most about Perry and Gabriele's effort is that it is fun. The Bright Ages is written in such an engaging and light manner that it is easy to race through. I found myself at the end of chapters faster than I wanted to be, completely drawn in by the narrative. You can tell how much the authors love the subject matter, and that they had a great time choosing stories to share and evidence to consider." -- Slate on The Bright Ages

"Incandescent and ultimately intoxicating, for as the chapters progress, it dawns on the reader that those who lived in this period were more conventional than cardboard figures. . . . They were, in essence, human." -- Boston Globe on The Bright Ages

"This revisionist history of medieval Europe takes apart the myth of a savage, primitive period . . . with passion and verve, [Gabriele and Perry challenge] the reader to tackle assumptions, bias and prejudices about the past to create a more joined-up, inclusive picture of the thousand years that followed the sack of Rome." -- Peter Frankopan, Guardian, on The Bright Ages

"For such a significant event as the Carolingian Civil War, it's surprising how few books cover the topic in depth. Even more surprising is how well-written and accessible this one is--perfect for history enthusiasts." -- Medievalists.net

"This rousing history of a real-life Game of Thrones details the ninth-century battle among Charlemagne's heirs for control of his empire." -- New York Times Book Review

"Popular history as it should be written--intelligent and wry, with some snarky digs at modern times despite nominally being about the 9th-century Franks. Highly recommend." -- Harry Turtledove, award-winning author of The Guns of the South