The Story of the Goths

By: Henry Bradley

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

The Goths are the most enigmatic of all the ancient German tribes. Their name today is still widely in use for a variety of cultural and artistic movements. But unlike other famous German tribes whose names are still descriptive of nations they founded - the Franks, the Lombards, the Angles, the Saxons, and the Alemanni - the Goths simply disappeared. The subject of Henry Bradley's splendid short history is tracing the rise, the migrations, and the impact of the Goths on European history along with their spectacular fall. It is a fascinating story of courage, resilience, and dogged determination. And it is the story of some of the greatest German chieftains and kings produced before the time of Charlemagne...awesome leaders like Alaric and Theodoric. The Goths brought down the mighty Roman Empire. But before they faded away, they left an indelible imprint on our civilization.

©2013 Didactic Press (P)2015 Audio Connoisseur

Entertaining

Really enjoyable, good audio and informative presentation. I would have appreciated a greater focus on their pre Christian culture.

Somewhat Lacking

I was hopeful that this book would be an enjoyable experience. I was only partially satisfied. The information contained is normally credible, but at times seems to border on conjecture trying to masquerade as fact. To be fair, this book was written over a century ago and there have been numerous historical and archaeological discoveries since then, but I was still somewhat disappointed given the widespread acclaim that Bradley enjoys as a linguist and historian- even to this day. But as with all dated academic publications- it is still important to see where the consensus used to be and how it has changed (if indeed it has).

5 stars ain’t enough. Give ‘em 10!

Wonderfully narrated and easy to follow. This audiobook is one of the best I have come across that covers the Goths.

Great

The Story of the Goths, written in 1888, was a great listen. As far as history books go, this one is pretty action packed but gives lots of interesting details about the character of individuals as well. It was well paced, and is roughly split into following each major branch of the Goths, mostly the Visigoths in Spain and Ostrogoths in Italy, from their origins to their eventual downfalls. Perhaps the largest portion of the book is on the conflicts between the Ostrogothic Kingdom and the Eastern Roman Empire. There are many epic battles and betrayals throughout.
I am left wishing I could know more about these noble and somewhat mysterious Germanic people who once ruled much of Europe.

excellent book, very detailed, a good source

nice to understand peoples of long ago, this book is very detailed and is a good reference book