Charlemagne

by Clotilde Bruneau (Contributor), Vincent Delmas, Gwendal Lemercier (Dessinateur)

Le roi qui devint empereur

L épopée de Charlemagne est celle d'un fils de grand seigneur parvenant au sommet du pouvoir en Europe en construisant un nouveau système politique, dont il occupe la place la plus élevée. Chrétien convaincu, il poursuit constamment un objectif affiché comme religieux : promouvoir partout et le plus loin possible la société chrétienne, par tous les moyens (militaires, culturels, administratifs, etc.), se plaçant d autorité comme le protecteur de la papauté. Conquérant charismatique et homme politique sachant s entourer des grands intellectuels de son époque, il incarne un moment unique de l Europe dont l'apogée est le sacre impérial.
Clotilde Bruneau et Vincent Delmas font appel à l expertise de l historienne Geneviève Thierry pour dresser le destin de cette figure emblématique de la monarchie française, enluminé de fort belle manière par le dessin épique de Gwendal Lemercier.

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels, Historical

56 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 2014

About the author

Clotilde Bruneau is a comic book writer born in 1987 in Paris. She mainly collaborates with the collection "La Sagesse des mythes ".

Reviews

[Bojan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally written for the Graphic Librarians bookstagram:

Today was la rentrée, the back-to-school day in France, and I had the beautiful experience of observing my daughter’s first day of school. She nailed it!

In the spirit of la rentrée, I decided to refresh my knowledge about the mighty Charlemagne. The conqueror of the Saxons, a bureaucratic genius, the King of the Franks who became an emperor, the “Father of Europe”… There are many attributes that crown his name.

Luckily, the publishing houses Glénat and Fayard united to create a series of graphic novels called “Ils ont fait l’Histoire,” in which historians and illustrators collaborate to create books about famous historical figures.

If you decide to enter Charlemagne’s world, prepare yourself for wars, politics, religion, intrigue, and power – this man probably lived a life worth 100 lives, and I’m sure the authors had a lot of trouble deciding what to include in this book. You will have the chance to read about some crucial moments in his rulership, focusing on his ascension to power, conquest of the Saxons, relationship with the Papacy, and crowning as emperor. It’s a little surprising that such a legendary person got only one tome in this collection, so to squeeze in all these things, the authors had to completely leave out Charlemagne’s personal life. That’s a shame because he was something special!

The artwork is detailed and atmospheric, but again, since there were so many crucial moments squeezed into one book, it feels like the potential was not fully utilized. For example, some maps and important locations could elevate the atmosphere.

But this book is a perfect start for any BD reader beginning their research on Charlemagne, as it covers the basic information and major events of his glorious rulership. As for me, I saw they have another book in the collection about Jeanne d’Arc, and I’m really intrigued by her as well…

[Karine Darnessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comme pour le volume consacré à Vercingétorix, j’ai tout de suite accroché au style graphique de cette bande dessinée. Là encore le travail fait à partir des faits historiques et le parti pris de se concentrer sur les événements marquants de la vie de Charlemagne sont un vrai régal. Ici, il y a plus de matière pour donner vie à ce grand personnage. On voit l’importance que la religion avait à cette époque dans la vie des gens et surtout de ce roi qui deviendra empereur. Là aussi, on entrevoit les enjeux politiques et stratégiques d’un royaume aussi vaste où vivent des gens différents quant à leurs coutumes, leurs langages et leurs croyances.
De nouveau, le dossier en fin de volume est très intéressant pour savoir ce qui est vrai et ce qui a été rajouté sur des suppositions par les auteurs. Au final, je me suis rendu compte que l’on ne s’intéressait pas assez à ce genre de personnage dans notre éducation.
Pour conclure, j’ai encore passé un bon moment de lecture avec ce tome-ci. Et j’espère un jour, trouver ceux sur Jeanne D’arc, Alexandre le grand et bien d’autres.
https://la-bibliotheque-du-labyrinthe...

[Guillaume · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked
Learning more about Charlemagne.. obviously the goal is reached: book if full of names and places, you won't know much about his childhood, story really starts after his father death as himself is already an adult.
Making of and details are offered by the last pages, giving more interesting insights.
I disliked
The pace didn't feel right, even though I imagine how complex it is to build such a graphical biography. Gwendal Lemercier illustrations feel right, but storytelling is awkward as it moves suddenly in time with no other warning than a date and a location. Some more information regarding the names would help those who are not familiar with medieval geography.
So..
Overall not the best experience of its kind, but you'll learn things - unless you're already an expert.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'era una miniserie su Carlo Magno che ho visto quando ero bimba e che mi era piaciuta tantissimo. Da allora, Carlo Magno è stato uno dei miei personaggi storici preferiti. Così son stata ben felice di vedere un fumetto dedicato a lui.

Rispetto ad altri titoli della collana, questo si concentra su un lasso di tempo piuttosto breve, dalla morte del padre alla notte di Natale dell'800, quando Carlo viene incoronato imperatore. Quindi, per un certo verso, gli autori hanno più spazio per sviluppare determinati eventi.

I disegni sono OK, mentre i colori son troppo marroni.

[Zéro Janvier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une excellente biographie de Charlemagne en bande dessinée, dans la collection « Ils ont fait l’Histoire ». La première qualité de cette collection, c’est la participation pour chaque album d’un historien spécialisé dans la figure historique et la période évoquées. Ici, il s’agit de Geneviève Bührer-Thierry, co-auteur de « La France avant la France », le premier volume de la collection Histoire de France de Belin, et c’est en d’ailleurs en regardant les publications de cette historienne que j’avais découvert cette collection de bande dessinée.

[Koen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uiterst boeiend figuur die aan de grondslag van Europa ligt. Hier toch wat anders voorgesteld dan wat we in de geschiedenisles leerden...

Schitterende reeks!

[Alice Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art was good.

I would recommend reading the historical explanations and checking out the map at the end of the book before starting the story. That’s what I’ll do for the other books in the collection.