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Saint Gregory Bishop of Tours
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The History of the Franks (Penguin Classics) Paperback – Unabridged, February 28, 1976

by Gregory of Tours (Author), Lewis Thorpe (Translator, Introduction), Betty Radice (Consultant Editor)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 155 ratings
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This colorful narrative of French history in the sixth century is a dramatic and detailed portrait of a period of political and religious turmoil.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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  1. Print length
    720 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  4. Publication date
    February 28, 1976
  5. Dimensions
    7.8 x 5.08 x 1.68 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0140442952
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140442953
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gregory of Tours (538-94), French historian, bishop of Tours (from 573), was born in Clermont-Ferrand. He had a distinguished and successful career as bishop. Gregory wrote accounts of miracles of the saints, an astronomical work to determine movable feasts, and a commentary on the Psalms. His masterpiece, Historia Francorum [history of the Franks], in 10 books, is a universal history; its account of contemporary events is of great importance.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics; Reprint edition (February 28, 1976)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 720 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140442952
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140442953
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.08 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 5.08 x 1.68 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 155 ratings

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Saint Gregory Bishop of Tours

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
155 global ratings
A rather ugly print on demand edition
2 Stars
A rather ugly print on demand edition
The translation is fine, but this edition is very hard to read. First, text runs far into the gutters, so you're always reading around the corner. Second, they use a very novel footnote format where each note appears right after the pp it is cited from. This is a good idea, actually, but the implementation is terrible, because they don't use superscripts or small fonts for the notes or anything - instead, notes are set off with extra white space above and below [yes! in a book with no margins!] and numbered[56] like thiswhich is very ugly and bulky.
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Top reviews from the United States

Dr. Hany
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest historical masterpieces
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2018
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The historical account of the Franks written by Saint Gregory of Tours is one of the best historical accounts written in the middle ages particularly in the early middle ages shortly after the miserable demise of the western roman empire after 478 A.D. The brutal honesty of Gregory of Tours in reporting the hideous and sometimes horrible actions committed by the merovingian kings and queens in order to gain power or to maintain it in sharp contrast with the great deeds performed by great Saints and prelates and how God was glorified with them by great miracles that helped greatly in civilizing the country and the complete Christianization of this country that came to be known as France. In other word, Gregory gave us a history of France before France itself existed on the map. Moreover, as an honest historian Gregory wasn't shy in expressing God's miracles and actions that many of the so-called historians are afraid to report. His sharp erudition and comprehensive knowledge of the confines of the Merovingian kingdom that included what is now Belgium as well as france, and the western part of what is now Helvetia or Switzerland and his firm grasp of the Frankish tribes, their origins, their movements and the expansion of their kingdom after the great victory of Clovis I in the battle of Tolbiac and his baptism in the Orthodox Faith in 496 A.D. and the great role that the Franks played in defeating arianism not just militarily but also doctrinally is amazing. The great doctrinal debates reported by Gregory that involved either himself, the merovingian and the frankish rulers or any one of the prelates on one side and the arians particularly the Goths who used to rule Spain are simply amazing and debunks the foolishness about the so-called dark ages when the majority of the so-called Christian theologians now cannot debate or even grasp the doctrines in the way that Gregory and the prelates in his age could. It was a time when there were many schools being built associated with benedictine monastic settlements and the great civilization of the barbaric tribes of the franks that started feverishly at that time. Anyone who claims that this was the dark ages is deluded, it is our age that is dark, when it was in the modern times that we started to have world wars engulfing almost all the countries of the world resultung in the death of millions of people and the appearance of oppressive political systems that mass murdered millions of people. As the account given by Saint Gregory of Tours, it is indeed a historical masterpiece in honesty, erudition, doctrinal orthodoxy and historical veracity. Saint Gregory of Tours puts all the modern so-called revisionist marxist historians to shame, and actually lay the historical reality so clearly making it impossible for the lying modern historians to change or revise history according to their bias and prejudice. It is one of the greatest oracles of history ever to have been penned down by any historian.
25 people found this helpful
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Christopher R. Travers
5.0 out of 5 stars Important work, good translation
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2010
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First, this work tells us a lot of what we know about the Merovingian kings of France. It also provides a few rather odd looks at pagan survivals among the Franks, such as the role of female soothsayers (which Gregory oddly discounts in part because angels told him the same thing that the soothsayers were telling), some possible hints into old Frankish mythology, and the naming traditions which seem extremely consistent with those of later Viking Age Scandinavia.

On top of this, the work is one of our most important early historiographies of France. It is interesting regarding the struggles against the Arians, and at times Gregory seems to obsess somewhat on proving his loyalty to the Catholic Church. Indeed a large portion of book one seems to have been included solely for this reason.

This book is thus one of the more important primary sources for the study of the dark ages, and of early Germanic peoples. Highly recommended.
11 people found this helpful
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valerie h frederick
4.0 out of 5 stars I should have checked print size b4 purchase
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2019
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Be careful. Print is WAY small
6 people found this helpful
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Phillip Parotti
5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Narrative History of the Merovingians
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2017
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Given the age in which this classic was written, one expects the work to be heavy, dense, and prolix. Instead the book moves forward with a lively and direct prose style that makes for am almost modern narrative. The period covered largely concentrates on political and religious developments involved with the Merovingians, down to Dagobert.
10 people found this helpful
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Ronald Douglas Berkebile
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Historical Work
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2013
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This is a great historical depiction about the French kings and the Catholic Church. It's a remarkable 6th century historical work. For those seeking genealogical information, names and family links are easily understood, but birthdates are sparse. Royal family searchers should be prepared for skeletons in their closet. The families are barbaricly portrayed. These were uncivilized times of conquest and intrigue. For those seeking acts of divine intervention, Gregory introduces plenty.
5 people found this helpful
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theBookMeister
5.0 out of 5 stars One on One with Gregory of Tours
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2015
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It is as if one sat down with Gregory of Tours himself (becasuse these are his words and thoughts on paper anyway) and had a course study one or one with him Awesome.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer2
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Translation. Excellent resource
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016
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Excellent translation. Gregory is a must read for any serious Church historian or person interested in early medieval history. Downright funny in parts.
3 people found this helpful
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AmaLeachBeech
1.0 out of 5 stars Never Shipped - Had to Cancel and Re-order
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2013
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So, I am all signed up for the free two-day shipping, supposedly fulfilled by Amazon.

Well, I ordered this version of The History of the Franks ($9.71, fulfilled by Amazon) on the 4th of October - as soon as my financial aid came through.
Two and a half weeks into class, and my order (of this one book out of four others) was not even prepared for shipping.
I had to look elsewhere. I came across a seller - long story short, the shipping was three times the cost of the book, but still barely more expensive than Amazon's book, AND it got here just in time.

I am skeptical of trusting Amazon's delivery promise for school texts.

And this book, never shipped. I didn't realize until recently that you could cancel the order, which I finally did.

Be wary!
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Top reviews from other countries

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R. Hazell
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best
Reviewed in Canada on October 4, 2017
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One of the best translations I've read. Personable, lively, and intimate. Some other translations I've read lack these qualities. As for Gregory himself, who can resist such a chatty gossip as the saintly bishop?
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars very nice
Reviewed in India on September 4, 2017
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very good
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根上 幸夫
4.0 out of 5 stars 簡便な要約版
Reviewed in Japan on November 3, 2014
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初期のメロヴィング朝の歴史についての貴重な資料、ラテン語の原書に当たれない自分にとっては非常に便利、著者の経歴、立場、からくる偏見と誤解に目をつぶり、構成の杜撰に辟易しなければ唯一といってよい貴重な資料。学生向けにはティエリーのメロヴィング王朝史のほうが読みやすいだろうが。
3 people found this helpful
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Ms R. Ng
5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 23, 2009
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This is a book I have come back to again and again over the years and each time I see different things. I have worn out and replaced several editions in the process. I like to see history from the point of view of someone who was actually there rather than someone looking through a telescope from another century and using a modern set of values, and Gregory certainly fulfils that. Unlike a previous reviewer, I really like Gregory. Yes, he can be very judgemental, but he is also plain-spoken, very sincere and bursting with faith. I love his very literal, Biblical approach - for example, freeing prisoners no matter whether he believed them guilty or not and his wonderful method of computing the age of the world. His bravery in reproaching kings who were more than capable of summarily executing or torturing him on the spot. His motive for writing (nobody else is writing about what is happening) is borne out, as he is the only source for many of the events and characters he writes about. He is far livelier reading than most ancient writers, with his catchphrase of 'and the next thing that happened...'. One thing which has always stood out to me whenever I have re-read this book, is just how little mankind has changed - we still have the same torture issues (in Guantanamo Bay and in all the countries cited by Amnesty International) and even in our own county, the same unreasonable thugs on the streets.
17 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in India on September 1, 2017
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I saw this book in many formats, paperback, on the internet.
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