Selections of the History of the Franks


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4.8 stars; 5 reviews)

The Historia Francorum is the most important contemporary source for the Merovingian age. It is written in ten books, of which one to four recount the world's history from the Creation and move on to the Christianization of Gaul, the life and times of Saint Martin of Tours, the conversion of the Franks, the conquest of Gaul under Clovis, and the history of the Frankish kings down to the death of Sigebert I in 575. From the fifth book on, Gregory starts the second part of the book, on his contemporary history, closing Book 6 with Chilperic I's death in 584. The third part, from books 7 to 10, take the account to the year 591, and concludes with a plea for further chroniclers to preserve his work in entirety. An epilogue was written in 594, the year of Gregory's death. (Summary by Leni) (11 hr 15 min)

Chapters

Preface and Introduction 46:15 Read by btuten
Book 1 36:07 Read by KevinS
Book 2, Chapters 1 to 18 44:20 Read by Craig Campbell
Book 2, Chapters 19 to 34 46:18 Read by Craig Campbell
Book 3, Chapters 1 to 14 21:50 Read by Craig Campbell
Book 3, Chapters 15 to 37 36:36 Read by Craig Campbell
Book 4, Chapters 1 to 26 36:28 Read by btuten
Book 4, Chapters 27 to 51 29:08 Read by btuten
Book 5, Chapters 1 to 20 55:38 Read by Ryan Fahey
Book 5, Chapters 21 to 50 33:44 Read by Ryan Fahey
Book 6, Chapters 1 to 22 31:12 Read by btuten
Book 6, Chapters 23 to 46 25:57 Read by btuten
Book 7 54:09 Read by Craig Campbell
Book 8 37:43 Read by Craig Campbell
Book 9 45:08 Read by btuten
Book 10, Chapters 1 to 14 25:21 Read by Kazbek
Book 10, Chapters 15 to 31 38:05 Read by Kazbek
Selections from the Eight Books of Miracles 31:48 Read by btuten

Reviews

An Unparalleled insight into the Early Middle Ages


(4.5 stars)

This is not a novel. it's a medieval Chronicle, if you are not familiar with the particularities this entails be warned it might take some getting used to. That being said the stories here are gripping, full of violence, intrigue and betrayal on a level that makes GoT look like a girl scout story hour and mostly told in what might be described as a loosely episodic format. The narrative focuses mostly on the Church and it's leading personalities and how they clash with rapacious nobles, barbarian raiders and the arguable main characters, the Merovingian Royal Dynasty. If you can get into the narrative you are in for one hell of a ride. The stories Gregory tells, sometimes from the first person are not for the faint of heart and considering the many atrocities he describes in great detail it really makes you wonder what exactly Gregory was forced to witness when he says at one point that "The men of Orleans committed such crimes that they can not be described"