Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Early Middle Ages cover art

The Early Middle Ages

By: Philip Daileader, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Philip Daileader
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £25.99

Buy Now for £25.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

1066: The Year That Changed Everything cover art
England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest cover art
The Italians before Italy: Conflict and Competition in the Mediterranean cover art
The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World cover art
The Middle Ages Around the World cover art
The American Civil War cover art
The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome cover art
The Celtic World cover art
Ancient Mesopotamia cover art
The Pagan World cover art
In Search of the Dark Ages cover art
Ancient History cover art
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World cover art
The Adventure of English cover art
The Storm Before the Storm cover art
The Prince cover art

Summary

The Early Middle Ages - the years from A.D. 650 to 1000 - were crucial to Europe's future social and political development. These 24 lectures trace a journey from Scandinavia across northern and central Europe to the farthest reaches of the Byzantine and Islamic empires, providing an exciting new look an era often simply called the "Dark Ages."

Given the period's dismal reputation and its temporal remoteness from the 21st century, you'll be surprised to learn about some of the most challenging questions historians have ever had to tackle: Why did the Roman Empire fall? Why did the ancient world give way to the medieval world? Why did Christian monotheism become the dominant religion in Europe? You'll meet some of the era's exciting figures, such as St. Augustine and Justinian, and you'll consider the extent to which the historical realities of King Arthur and Charlemagne match up to the legends that have become attached to their names. You'll also look at the era's effect on the Vikings, the rise of the Carolingians, and the golden age of Islamic rule in Spain.

Professor Daileader also explores the contrasting historical theories offered by two extremely influential historians: Edward Gibbon, the English author of the monumental The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, whose explanations closely followed those of the Roman moralists of the 4th and 5th centuries; and Henri Pirenne, the Belgian thinker who injected a newfound emphasis on social and especially economic factors into the analysis of history.

You'll see why the era belies its reputation as dark and dismal, but you'll come away with a new appreciation for this once-lost era.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2004 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2004 The Great Courses

What listeners say about The Early Middle Ages

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    264
  • 4 Stars
    57
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    213
  • 4 Stars
    57
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    231
  • 4 Stars
    47
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good.

I wasn't sure what to expert with this audio book and was pleasantly surprised by it. it was pitched at just the correct level for me. I finished it in a couple of days.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Passionate lectures about an interesting period

I've listened to lots of Great Courses and this is one of the best because of his passion and the period.
He covers a long period of 700 years when Saint Augustine and Charlemagne were key players and a part of history that not many people seem to know much about. It's hard to keep track of so many groups of people: the Visigoths, the Arabs, the Vikings, the Merovingians and Carolingians but the course brings them a bit closer to the present.
I'm looking forward to the next one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Is he Bill Bryson in disguise?

Great buy. Informative, witty and well-paced. I'm now moving on to The High Middle Ages.
Say no more!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great course

Really capturing and straight forward course. The lecturer does a great job at communicating this part of history.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent content and delivery

Very interesting course. All credit to Philip Daileader for structuring and delivering the course in a way that is detailed, fast paced, never dull and always engaging. The twelve hours fly by!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Quality lectures from a good teacher

Philip Daileader introduces us to the early middle ages in an engaging manner flowing through the centuries of that period.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lived up to its billing.

This was in its own unique way the equal of Paul Freedmans Yale lecture series ofbthe same period.

Very enjoyable thar was made all.the better by having a narrator with a easy listening style.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really interesting and educational

I have listened to this twice now and will listen again. So much good information.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Definitely recommend

I enjoyed this course very much. It was structured well so that it conveyed the information well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating and beautifully presented

This is one of the best Great Courses series I have heard. It is informative and interesting and the lecturer is excellent. I think this guy could read a shopping list and make it sound fascinating! I highly recommend this course.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!