The Rise of the Franks - a mighty host of warlords; forefathers of the western world and forgers of medieval civilisation, under the totemic leadership of history’s most glorious King: Charlemagne. It is a tale rich in fantasy and myth, transporting us into a distant age and the dark debris of a crumbling Roman empire; landscapes scarred by ruins, clashing queens, poisonings, sorcery, bloody battles, ice castles, and axe-wielding warriors, more reminiscent of King Arthur, Game of Thrones and the Lord of the Rings than real life. Once insignificant, terrifying barbarians from the peripheries of Gaul, with flaming red hair and formidable moustaches, they would emerge from the ashes of the Roman Empire in the 4th century AD, and become the heirs of the Caesars. But how? The answer lies in warring barbarian strongmen, the collision of old gods and the new, a mighty Christian martyr, a mysterious ancient bloodline born of perhaps Jesus Christ himself, the emperors of old, and a sea monster; and a battle to determine dominion of the West… Join Tom and Dominic as they launch into one of the greatest stories in all of European history: the rise the Franks. Europe’s mightiest warriors, warlords and kings, whose legacy would reshape the world forever. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Did you know that our Sunday Times bestselling book, The Rest Is History Returns, is now out in paperback? From finding out who British history's biggest lad was to tracing the admittedly hazy ancient origins of Raiders of the Lost Ark, it's filled cover to cover with more curious historical moments than you can crack a lasso at, plus puzzles and a pub quiz.
The Rest Is History Returns, available now in all good bookshops. Zachary was still shaking his head. Welcome to Thailand. Now let me school you. What you and Sarai could do and get away with in Boulder can't be done here in Phuket. Not if she's going to save face and honor her father. She's a good girl. And here in Thailand, good girls don't fool around with or get involved with farangs.
What the hell is a farang? It's the Thai word for Europeans or non-Thai men. It's mostly used to describe white guys. Since we're black, you and I are actually farang dam. Alexander stared at his twin for a moment. Well, damn, he said, suddenly laughing. Laughing with him, Zachary shrugged. Farang is also the word for guava fruit. Go figure.
So that, Dominic, was Guilty Pleasures by Deborah Mello. I'm sure you'll have read it. It's a romance novel describing the rivalry between two American brothers, both of them black, as we heard, Alexander and Zachary the Hammer Barrett. And they're both absolute fitness fanatics like me. And they're both obsessed by the beautiful Sarai Montrai, who is a personal trainer of
and the former Miss Thailand.
So of all the introductory readings we've ever had on the rest of history, that's probably the weirdest. What's going on?
Well, I'm sure what will have stuck out for you was the use of this phrase, Farang Dam, which literally means Black Franks. And it was first used in the 60s to describe Black American servicemen who were being stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War.
Yeah.
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