The Bright Ages
A New History of Medieval Europe
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Narrated by:
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Jim Meskimen
About this listen
"Traveling easily through a thousand years of history, The Bright Ages reminds us society never collapsed when the Roman Empire fell, nor did the modern world did wake civilization from a thousand year hibernation. Thoroughly enjoyable, thoughtful and accessible; a fresh look on an age full of light, color, and illumination." (Mike Duncan, author of Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution)
A lively and magisterial popular history that refutes common misperceptions of the European Middle Ages, showing the beauty and communion that flourished alongside the dark brutality - a brilliant reflection of humanity itself.
The word medieval conjures images of the “Dark Ages” - centuries of ignorance, superstition, stasis, savagery, and poor hygiene. But the myth of darkness obscures the truth; this was a remarkable period in human history. The Bright Ages recasts the European Middle Ages for what it was, capturing this 1,000-year era in all its complexity and fundamental humanity, bringing to light both its beauty and its horrors.
The Bright Ages takes us through 10 centuries and crisscrosses Europe and the Mediterranean, Asia, and Africa, revisiting familiar people and events with new light cast upon them. We look with fresh eyes on the Fall of Rome, Charlemagne, the Vikings, the Crusades, and the Black Death, but also to the multi-religious experience of Iberia, the rise of Byzantium, and the genius of Hildegard and the power of queens. We begin under a blanket of golden stars constructed by an empress with Germanic, Roman, Spanish, Byzantine, and Christian bloodlines and end nearly 1,000 years later with the poet Dante - inspired by that same twinkling celestial canopy - writing an epic saga of heaven and hell that endures as a masterpiece of literature today.
The Bright Ages reminds us just how permeable our manmade borders have always been and of what possible worlds the past has always made available to us. The Middle Ages may have been a world “lit only by fire”, but it was one whose torches illuminated the magnificent rose windows of cathedrals, even as they stoked the pyres of accused heretics.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2021 Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry (P)2021 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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- Unabridged
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In the tradition of Jared Diamond and Jacques Barzun, prize-winning historian Anthony Pagden presents a sweeping history of the long struggle between East and West, from the Greeks to the present day.
The relationship between East and West has always been one of turmoil. In this historical tour de force, a renowned historian leads us from the world of classical antiquity, through the Dark Ages, to the Crusades, Europe's resurgence, and the dominance of the Ottoman Empire, which almost shattered Europe entirely. Pagden travels from Napoleon in Egypt to Europe's carving up of the finally moribund Ottomans - creating the modern Middle East along the way - and on to the present struggles in Iraq.
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Great story, with a lot of unfamiliar names
- By Tad Davis on 07-02-08
By: Anthony Pagden
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Ancient History
- A Captivating Guide to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Duke Holm, Timothy Burke
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Three captivating manuscripts in one audiobook: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome.
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Think about our ancient cultures
- By fiona on 11-02-18
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When Montezuma Met Cortes
- The True Story of the Meeting That Changed History
- By: Matthew Restall
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1519, the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortés first met Montezuma, the Aztec emperor, at the entrance to the capital city of Tenochtitlan. This introduction - the prelude to the Spanish seizure of Mexico City and to European colonization of the mainland of the Americas - has long been the symbol of Cortés' bold and brilliant military genius. Montezuma, on the other hand, is remembered as a coward who gave away a vast empire and touched off a wave of colonial invasions across the hemisphere. But is this really what happened?
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Flawed, but worth it for those interested.
- By "J" on 02-16-18
By: Matthew Restall
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The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, Revised and Updated
- The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation
- By: Justo L. González
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought, presents a narrative history of Christianity from the early church to the dawn of the Protestant reformation. From Jesus' faithful apostles to the early reformist John Wycliffe, González skillfully traces core theological issues and developments within the various traditions of the church, including major events outside of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World.
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Throughly engaging
- By Scott Pursley on 12-15-16
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Tried by Fire
- The Story of Christianity's First Thousand Years
- By: William J. Bennett
- Narrated by: Wayne Campbell
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Full of larger-than-life characters, stunning acts of bravery, and heart-rending sacrifice, Tried by Fire narrates the rise and expansion of Christianity from an obscure regional sect to the established faith of the world's greatest empire with influence extending from India to Ireland, Scandinavia to Ethiopia, and all points in between.
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Best history of Christianity I've read
- By JOHN F KANARY on 05-05-16
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The History of the Ancient World
- From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
- By: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history. This narrative history employs the methods of "history from beneath" - literature, epic traditions, private letters, and accounts - to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled.
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An Historic Achievement
- By Ellen S. Wilds on 04-25-14
By: Susan Wise Bauer
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Yiddish Civilisation: The Rise and Fall of a Forgotten Nation
- By: Paul Kriwaczek
- Narrated by: Robert Blumenfeld
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Tracing Yiddish civilization from its roots in the Diaspora to the present, Paul Kriwaczek combines intimate family anecdote, travelogue, historical research, and interviews with scholars to give us a rich portrait of a nearly extinguished culture as it survived across the centuries. He begins his chronicle in Jerusalem, with the destruction of the Jewish temple at the hands of the Romans in the year 70. We see the burgeoning exile population disperse, moving outward and northward throughout the following centuries, making their mark in more far flung cities under Roman rule.
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Disorganized, inconclusive and disappointing
- By Alex on 12-15-20
By: Paul Kriwaczek
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Jews, God, and History
- By: Max I. Dimont
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Vitality floods its pages. Philosophers and kings, warriors and merchants, poets and financiers come alive as the story ranges across time and the globe. From ancient Palestine through Europe and the Orient, to America and modern Israel, Max Dimont shows how the saga of the Jews is interwoven with the history of virtually every nation on earth.
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Grand in scope and depth
- By Joe on 08-27-12
By: Max I. Dimont
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Mesopotamia: A Captivating Guide to Ancient Mesopotamian History and Civilizations, Including the Sumerians and Sumerian Mythology, Gilgamesh, Ur, Assyrians, Babylon, Hammurabi and the Persian Empire
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Richard Savage, Desmond Manny, Duke Holm, and others
- Length: 21 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Taken together, the civilizations of Sumer, Assyria, and Persia have helped form the modern makeup of Mesopotamia, western Asia, and the world. However, to really understand why things are the way they are, it’s important to break up this historical timeline and spend some time learning about each society. Only by doing this will you be able to fully appreciate the powerful impact these ancient peoples had on our modern world.
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“Divulian”?
- By SBrown on 03-20-19
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Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome, and the Making of Christianity in the West, 350-550 AD
- By: Peter Brown
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
- Length: 31 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Jesus taught his followers that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Yet by the fall of Rome, the church was becoming rich beyond measure. Through the Eye of a Needle is a sweeping intellectual and social history of the vexing problem of wealth in Christianity in the waning days of the Roman Empire, written by the world's foremost scholar of late antiquity.
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A learned, well-balanced postmodern history
- By Jacobus on 11-21-12
By: Peter Brown
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What listeners say about The Bright Ages
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ky
- 01-19-22
Amazing!
So poignant and necessary to our times. This book takes popular myth and toxic ideas and gently shows how they have no basis. Hope.
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4 people found this helpful
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- R. J. Collene
- 09-06-22
Anecdotal approach to infer contemporary values.
An anecdotal approach to the western historical “Dark Ages” to alter the historical perspective. A contemporary attempt to filter the historical narrative through a lens of “presentism.”
The author reveals a shallow understanding of the Christian influence and ecclesiology of the progression in the western world with ongoing transformation of the world’s cultures.
The global economy was built on the backs of slaves but Christian values ultimately changed the world’s value system.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Vincenzo Fiore
- 01-19-22
very enjoyable
Very good introduction to the emerging new narrative of the Middle-ages, in which the spotlight is on the usually neglected "bright" elements (art, philosophy, social advancements etc.) of this complex (and centuries long) part of European and Mediterranean history. Positive aspects that are presented without forgetting the well-known "dark" elements of violence and religious fanatism.
Interesting and well-balanced reading!
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- HoneyBadger
- 04-26-22
Interesting but too detailed
The topic and theories are interesting, but the authors often go through excruciating level of detail on specific points that don’t feel they require so much depth, loosing the reader along the way. Still a recommended read, but only for history buffs.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Diana
- 05-06-22
What a Marvelous Surprise
This intriguing book undoes our learned picture of the horrors and the mysterious sinking of mankind
during the then-called Dark Ages.
Welcome to this new concept of a complex Bright Ages instead! It gently corrects many of the deep roots of the Dark Ages. Highly recommend!
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- Heidi M.
- 03-16-22
A different view
I truly enjoyed this view of Medieval Europe. Very helpful in writing for my thesis, but also provided me additional views to regard in researching my thesis
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- John Barnett
- 05-12-22
The middle ages were complex apparently
The Bright Ages argues that the middle ages weren't dark. Plenty of things happened between the 4th and 16th centuries. People traveled and were aware of different peoples and their cultures. It wasn't all good; it wasn't all bad. It certainly wasn't the anglo dream white supremacists believe it to be. The story of the middle ages can't be told without contributions from those that spoke Latin, Arabic, Turkish, and many other languages. Just like today, the middle ages were complex.
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- isaiah grambo
- 01-02-24
Educational & enjoyable, though it glosses over some distinctions
The end of the recording describes a “further reading” section that isn’t part of the recording itself.
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- Kenton
- 12-22-21
Brilliant! (See what I did there? 😂)
So this is not the kind of book I would normally jump into, but it was time for a non-fiction and it sounded pretty interesting.
WOW! Very well done. Very readable. Reframes a completely misunderstood era into a far more nuanced and fascinating period. Not a super deep dive into medieval Europe, but more than enough to turn a passing interest into a rewarding appreciation of a time we typically breeze past with so many unfair misconceptions.
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13 people found this helpful
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- @djgrieser
- 12-31-21
Brilliant, entertaining, careful
Absolutely brilliant. Very well written, careful use of sources with fascinating examples rarely cited in surveys. Love the use of Ravenna and Galla Placidia as a framing device. The last 2 chapters covering the material I know best are breathtakingly brilliant. I don’t think I know of a better discussion of the complexity of medieval urban communal life.
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