Matthew Gabriele is a professor of medieval studies at Virginia Tech, and the author of the book An Empire of Memory: The Legend of Charlemagne, the Franks, and Jerusalem before the First Crusade. Gabriele has articles on medieval Europe and the memory of the Middle Ages, and has edited several academic volumes. His public writing has appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, and interviews with him have aired locally, nationally, and internationally. He is the co-author, together with David M. Perry, of The Bright Ages and Oathbreakers.