Let's Read: Oathbreakers

PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE UPDATED THE TIME TO AVOID CONFLICTS WITH THE SUPER BOWL.

Let's read "Oathbreakers: The War of Brothers That Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe" by Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry (Amazon, Audiobook, Powell's)

The Tides of History podcast has an interview with one of the authors, if you'd like to dig in a bit.

I also think this review has an excellent description of why it's worth reading:
"Oathbreakers is informative yet entertaining, with a subtle sense of humour that does not try so hard as to overwhelm the historical narrative (spot, for example, the hidden Rage Against the Machine reference). Ultimately, the triumph of this book is its ability to convey a narrative about extremely complex events that is neither inaccessible nor patronising. Gabriele and Perry explore the nuances of contemporary sources out loud rather than simply doing all the historical work behind the scenes and then telling a simplified story. In this way the authors build a sense of mutual trust between themselves and the reader - we see their expert analysis come to fruition in real time while feeling respected enough to be let in on the process."

Description:

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?