The Crucible of Europe: The Ninth and Tenth Centuries in European History

by Geoffrey Barraclough

An interpretive survey of social, political, and religious events and developments in the Carolingian empire and its successor states, centering on the emergence of the distinct institutions of medieval France, Germany, Italy, England, and other monarchies

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval History, Medieval, Academic, European History

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Geoffrey Barraclough was an English historian, known as a medievalist and historian of Germany.

Reviews

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, very concise history of the period- I've been trying to work out exactly what happened in the 9th and 10th centuries from other bad, flabby books. I should have started with this one. Barraclough tells a good narrative when he needs to, deals with important historical cruces when it seems worthwhile, and the book has lots of nice pictures. Be aware that this isn't social history or cultural history: it's about the big names (I mean, they're not that big. They didn't get called the Dark Ages for nothing) and how power was taken, imposed and lost. But in 160 odd pages, what more could you want? Livelier prose, maybe? A little more on the growth of the Eastern European states? A little less on the origins of British political units? Well yes.
Geez I'm hard to please.

[Amy]

I just went back and read this book a second time and was really impressed by it. This is a subtly nuanced and multi-layered analysis of history during Europe's "dark ages." Professor Barraclough really digs deep into the cause and effect of this history to give you an understanding beyond just the surface assumptions. Very, very good.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of his a arguments were the same as in his Making of Modern Germany. He focuses almost exclusively though on western Frankish lands (France) and eastern Frankish lands (Germany). He does detour to England briefly. He tries to draw out the differences to show how the countries formed the way they eventually did.

[Joshua Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an easy read for the uninitiated (like me) but after poring over it for a while a theme emerges: Barraclough describes the ways in which the kingdoms (or proto-states) which arose out of the ashes of the Carolingian empire responded to invasions on multiple fronts in the 9th and 10th centuries. In short, he describes the societies of England/Wessex, Gaul/France, Germany, and (to some extent, i.e., Lombardy & Rome) each adapted in slightly different ways (building fortifications, changing their social structure towards more and less feudal systems) during this "crucible" of the middle ages. Barraclough points out how Saracen, Magyar, Viking/Norman and Slav/other invasions all contributed to the move away from the old Roman/Meditterannean-centred Europe of the days of the Roman empire, with power and interests shifting inland and to the northwest. He shows how their respective responses laid the groundwork especially in the aforementioned western European countries for the emergence of distinctive kingdoms in each and how newly changed systems of social and political organization persisted in some cases for many centuries well beyond the 11th century.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm grateful to have read about a period of history, the Middle Ages, about which, not many have written. I'm grateful that author Barraclough made his book easy to understand and enjoyable. Recommended!

[Stephen Horsfall]

Pretty interesting. He is unimpressed by Charlemagne in some ways, in particular his failure to ensure the continuance of his empire after his death.