The Flight and Fall of the Eagle: A History of Medieval Germany 800–1648

by John R. Sommerfeldt

The intellectual, cultural, and political renaissance that characterized the Europe of Charlemagne was threatened severely by invasions from all sides. Only Germany avoided the consequent phenomenon of feudalism. This was due to a series of rulers who provided protection to the people, reform to the Church, and patronage of cultural revival. From the thirteenth century, this cultural and political unity began to fragment, and by 1648 what had been a successful revival of the Roman Empire had been destroyed. In addition to tracing the political, cultural and religious history of medieval Germany, this volume examines the thought of outstanding German men and women, and includes an extensive account of the changing status of German Jews.

Genres: History

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2016

Reviews

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author intent: a textbook that would offer "full chronological range" about the history of medieval Germany; one that covers not just politics, but "other aspects of human culture-to economics, social experiences and structures, and the life of the mind."
I do think this would be a very good textbook for a course covering the time period, but having one chapter covering agriculture and one covering literature, and 19 covering politics (and yes, religion but to be honest religion is so intertwined with the politics of the era is not a separate topic) indicates the author did not actually achieve his goal. Also, I appreciate the "according to..." or "in the writings of" so and so to keep the flow of the text engaging, but seriously needed notes or references. The work had ZERO!