The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe
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- Create Date：2021-12-22 08:50:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Matthew Gabriele
- ISBN：0062980890
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Summary
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 ten 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。
The Bright Ages is illustrated throughout with high-resolution images。
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 ten 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。
The Bright Ages is illustrated throughout with high-resolution images。
Reviews
Erika
，
A great unraveling of the dark ages myth in an easy to understand book。 This book show the complexity of the medieval world that was brilliant。 I want to read more by these authors。
Valentine Wheeler
，
Absolutely phenomenal。 Audiobook was well-narrated， too！
David Montgomery
，
This is a collection of vignettes set over the roughly 900 years from 430 to 1321 CE， all aimed to refute the popular idea that the end of "antiquity" was followed by the "Dark Ages" in which people were mired in ignorance and poverty until the Renaissance restored light and learning。 Gabriele and Perry highlight a range of interesting （though not always admirable） characters and events from the period they dub "The Bright Ages，" an effective rebuke to anyone who buys into the most reductive ide This is a collection of vignettes set over the roughly 900 years from 430 to 1321 CE， all aimed to refute the popular idea that the end of "antiquity" was followed by the "Dark Ages" in which people were mired in ignorance and poverty until the Renaissance restored light and learning。 Gabriele and Perry highlight a range of interesting （though not always admirable） characters and events from the period they dub "The Bright Ages，" an effective rebuke to anyone who buys into the most reductive idea of the "Dark Ages。" Casual readers will come away with a more nuanced view of the medieval period， and probably a more positive one。 A more informed reader might have a different experience。 To list one example I'm familiar with， the book doesn't really engage at depth with some of the more recent scholarly debate about — the "fall of Rome，" where contemporary scholars arguing that Rome fell have much more sophisticated and less moralizing arguments than the conventional understanding of the "Dark Ages" that Gabriele and Perry are focused on rebuking。 That's fine， and readers who are familiar with the historical Middle Ages will still find plenty to ponder in this book， but as a member of this class I half-wished for a more deeply argued thesis as I read it， even as what was there gave me plenty to think about。 。。。more
Marian Thorpe
，
Many many years ago， I read an article on how the primate research of Jane Goodall， Birute Galdikas and Dian Fossey changed the views of the power structures and interactions within primate families by virtue of one thing: they brought a female viewpoint to a male-dominated field， and saw cooperation where their predecessors had seen competition。 While no doubt simplistic， it is true that in any field of study， every individual brings a set of preconceived ideas through which they not only inter Many many years ago， I read an article on how the primate research of Jane Goodall， Birute Galdikas and Dian Fossey changed the views of the power structures and interactions within primate families by virtue of one thing: they brought a female viewpoint to a male-dominated field， and saw cooperation where their predecessors had seen competition。 While no doubt simplistic， it is true that in any field of study， every individual brings a set of preconceived ideas through which they not only interpret， but use too to sort and sift， choosing what fits within their constructs， discarding outliers。 （As I was taught to， in applying statistical analysis to my own graduate research。）In the past decades， and accelerating in the 21st C， many historians and archaeologists are interpreting the events of the past through different lenses， challenging long-held views。 Facts are looked at in different lights， or new techniques: warrior burials thought to be men are women; DNA studies change what we know about how Yersinia pestis spread across the world。 But not just through science， but through viewpoints from different traditions and scholarship， and by listening to voices marginalized or dismissed， another picture can and does emerge。In The Bright Ages， authors Matthew Gabriele and David M。 Perry use these new interpretations and new knowledge to give us an overview of the time known until recently as ‘the dark ages’: from the decline of Rome’s power in Western Europe to the beginning of the Renaissance。 Choosing a series of events on which to focus， ones that may be familiar to readers with an interest in this time period， they illustrate how interconnected the world was。 Aggression and conquest were part of this time; atrocities on all sides happened。 But so did the exchange of knowledge and ideas， whether in technology or philosophy， theology or medicine: men and women met in person or by letter to debate， challenge， and change the interpretations of secular and religious thought and practice， enlightened by the exchange across cultures， beliefs， experiences -- just as is happening today。The Bright Ages is an eminently readable book， the style casual enough for a non-specialist reader but with enough rigor to make it a starting point for more investigation。 （Helpfully， the authors provide a section on further reading for each chapter， which may strain my book budget。） It is a solid， useful adjunct to scholarly research （not easily accessible to many） re-evaluating knowledge， thought and belief about medieval Europe。 。。。more
Larry
，
The case for a less dark Middle Ages is made valiantly， but there are too many historical obstacles （the Crusades for one）。 At best， a case is made for patches or threads of a more optimistically rendered past than we've inherited。 Still， it is a well written book and worth reading in conjunction with Dan Jones's "Powers and Thrones。" The case for a less dark Middle Ages is made valiantly， but there are too many historical obstacles （the Crusades for one）。 At best， a case is made for patches or threads of a more optimistically rendered past than we've inherited。 Still， it is a well written book and worth reading in conjunction with Dan Jones's "Powers and Thrones。" 。。。more
Glen
，
I won this book in a goodreads drawing。In the field of comic books， a common premise is "Everything You Know About X Is Wrong。" The vast majority of these tales are terrible （Alan Moore's Swamp Thing being a notable exception。）This book takes the idea into academia， where it doesn't work so well either。 The authors， pretending Huizinga and other authors don't exist， tell us what "we know" about the middle ages is wrong， and that they weren't "Dark" but "Bright。" Throughout， there is the aroma of I won this book in a goodreads drawing。In the field of comic books， a common premise is "Everything You Know About X Is Wrong。" The vast majority of these tales are terrible （Alan Moore's Swamp Thing being a notable exception。）This book takes the idea into academia， where it doesn't work so well either。 The authors， pretending Huizinga and other authors don't exist， tell us what "we know" about the middle ages is wrong， and that they weren't "Dark" but "Bright。" Throughout， there is the aroma of fear of being cancelled。A reader might learn something， but anyone who is familiar with the era should probably skip it。 。。。more
Edward Rathke
，
Liked this book a lot。 The only problem， assuming this is even a problem， is that there's nothing novel in here for me。 Which isn't the author's fault， obviously。 I should've known what this book would have in it from the title。It's a book of popular history meant to convince a broad and general audience that the Dark Ages never existed。 Well， it does that quite well！ But I had already been convinced by this line of thinking long before I came to this book。Even so， it's a very good survey of the Liked this book a lot。 The only problem， assuming this is even a problem， is that there's nothing novel in here for me。 Which isn't the author's fault， obviously。 I should've known what this book would have in it from the title。It's a book of popular history meant to convince a broad and general audience that the Dark Ages never existed。 Well， it does that quite well！ But I had already been convinced by this line of thinking long before I came to this book。Even so， it's a very good survey of the era。 It's probably best read with some more specific histories of Europe and western Asia covering similar time periods。 There are some good overviews of the crusades and so on that touch on a lot of the same material， but dig in deeper。This book really is mostly a broad survey， so it never gets deep into any single topic it covers。 The chapters that worked best， I think， were when the authors highlight how women were very much political actors who shaped the world。 But， yeah， very good book， especially if you're familiar with the broadstrokes of the era but still believe in the idea of a Dark Age。 。。。more
Lloyd Alter
，
A lot of history as we know it ends with the fall of Rome and returns with the Renaissance but a lot happened in between and it was not so dark。 And Rome didn’t really fall， it just sort of pivoted， to use the modern management jargon。 Science， philosophy， math， technology， and a few of my Jewish ancestors。 An entertaining， accessible and very enjoyable read。
Brigid Hogan
，
super accessible primer for those whose understanding of the middle ages is based on reductionist pop culture。 well-written and engaging
Shane DiGiovanna
，
The Past was BrightThe Bright Ages is a truly extraordinary book。 I was skeptical when I opened the book， since I’ve never much cared for the Middle Ages。 But these authors have made that era seem vibrant， colorful， and real。 They argue that the Dark Ages is the wrong term， that the Bright Ages is a far better descriptor。 Well， they’ve won me over！They accomplished this by having each chapter focus on an image， say a Viking ship aflame in the Volga， and using that to explore the complexity and b The Past was BrightThe Bright Ages is a truly extraordinary book。 I was skeptical when I opened the book， since I’ve never much cared for the Middle Ages。 But these authors have made that era seem vibrant， colorful， and real。 They argue that the Dark Ages is the wrong term， that the Bright Ages is a far better descriptor。 Well， they’ve won me over！They accomplished this by having each chapter focus on an image， say a Viking ship aflame in the Volga， and using that to explore the complexity and beauty of the Middle Ages。 The writing is gorgeous and clear， and makes understandable an era that can be impenetrable。 Buy this book。 。。。more
Caroline Palmer
，
This book is well written and has a lot of interesting information， some of which I hadn’t known。 However， it suffers in comparison to Dan Jones’s Powers and Thrones， which covers the same period and attempts to do the same as this book， only there is something about the Dan Jones book that I found more entertaining。
Amy
，
A stocking stuffer for the racist uncle or nephew or in-law in your life。 The authors are concerned about how white supremacists， especially the homicidal ones， rely on their ahistorical beliefs about the middle ages in Europe。 An extremely approachable survey of about 1000 years of history。 Each chapter could be the topic of several books， and the authors' "for further reading" guide at the end points you to good sources。 A stocking stuffer for the racist uncle or nephew or in-law in your life。 The authors are concerned about how white supremacists， especially the homicidal ones， rely on their ahistorical beliefs about the middle ages in Europe。 An extremely approachable survey of about 1000 years of history。 Each chapter could be the topic of several books， and the authors' "for further reading" guide at the end points you to good sources。 。。。more
Bruce Holsinger
，
"A lively， searing， and transformative reimagining of the medieval world， The Bright Ages is brilliant in every way， both lucid in its arguments and sparkling in its prose。 A gripping and compulsive read。"[my endorsement for the publisher] "A lively， searing， and transformative reimagining of the medieval world， The Bright Ages is brilliant in every way， both lucid in its arguments and sparkling in its prose。 A gripping and compulsive read。"[my endorsement for the publisher] 。。。more
Jenn
，
The Bright Ages is a lively and engaging history about a commonly misunderstood period。 Beginning with a persuasive argument that Rome never fell but was instead transformed over a long period， Gabriele and Perry challenge the common conception of medieval life as "nasty， brutish， and short，" as Thomas Hobbes put it。 The medieval world was not a stagnant， fragmented， and unchanging one， but rather was "always in flux， with permeable borders， and signs of movement and cultural intermixing everywh The Bright Ages is a lively and engaging history about a commonly misunderstood period。 Beginning with a persuasive argument that Rome never fell but was instead transformed over a long period， Gabriele and Perry challenge the common conception of medieval life as "nasty， brutish， and short，" as Thomas Hobbes put it。 The medieval world was not a stagnant， fragmented， and unchanging one， but rather was "always in flux， with permeable borders， and signs of movement and cultural intermixing everywhere you look。" Like most good histories， The Bright Ages listens to its sources carefully for what they have to tell us about medieval events， personalities， and worldviews in order to upend assumptions， biases， and agendas that have shaped how we read them。 The book takes as its central metaphor light， convincingly dispelling any notion that the medieval period was a "dark age" of any kind。 Light was essential to medieval theology， literature， architecture， art， and more， speaking to a world in which innovation， creativity， and hope for the future could co-exist comfortably with instability and conflict。 It's incredibly nuanced for a wide survey， and it is beautifully written。 I recommend this book with my whole heart。 。。。more
Rosann
，
Though the idea of The Dark Ages being in inaccurate descriptor of the Medieval period， authors Gabriele and Perry bring together solid research and analysis combined with good writing to comprehensively examine this time。 They bring to vivid life this historic period so often overlooked and labelled savage， unsophisticated， grim and culturally lacking。
Marcy Graybill
，
A look at old evidence with new eyes。 The authors' premise is that Rome did not fall， it just was redesigned， and the dark ages were not so dark。 They focused mostly on Christianity and left out many of the scientific discoveries of the times。 I enjoyed the writing style it's definitely accessible to the average reader。 Covering nearly a thousand years and ranging from Western Europe to Africa and Asia， there's no possible way it can go into historical details， leaving out quite a bit of informa A look at old evidence with new eyes。 The authors' premise is that Rome did not fall， it just was redesigned， and the dark ages were not so dark。 They focused mostly on Christianity and left out many of the scientific discoveries of the times。 I enjoyed the writing style it's definitely accessible to the average reader。 Covering nearly a thousand years and ranging from Western Europe to Africa and Asia， there's no possible way it can go into historical details， leaving out quite a bit of information。 For someone who is interested in history this would be a great overview of what really happened during the Middle Ages。 。。。more
Steve
，