Charlemagne

by Roger Collins

This is a new account of the most important period in the history of Europe between the end of the Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance. The reign of Charlemagne (768-814) saw the unification of many areas of France, Italy and Germany, Spain and central Europe, as well as the revival of the title 'Emperor in the West.' At the same time, the cultural and artistic revival that took place in western Europe under Charlemagne's rule both led to the preservation of much of the intellectual heritage of Antiquity and inspired succeeding generations of scholars and artists up to the time of the Renaissance. While the empire that Charlemagne created proved short-lived, the title 'Holy Roman Emperor' remained in continuous use until 1806, and his achievements have inspired a succession of both military conquerors and would-be unifiers of Europe up to the present day. Numerous ideas and institutions were revived or created in this period which would serve to shape the future development of western Europe throughout the Middle Ages and beyond.

Genres: History, Biography, European History, Medieval

292 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 1998

About the author

Roger J. H. Collins (born 1949) is an English medievalist, currently an honorary fellow in history at the University of Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

History of the Frankish Kingdom as told through the different theaters of war, from Charlemagne’s predecessors to his death, and some description of society and culture. The documentary evidence from the period isn’t very voluminous, so treaties or oaths taken are mostly what is documented.

A dry read, lots of straightforward info dumping of names and dates. Does give some good historical context to show how the world created a man like Charlemagne and what it took for him to keep an ethnically diverse kingdom together (which rapidly split after his death).

[G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made the point of reading this cover to cover for my senior Honours History special subject class. Generally interesting and concise (a rare treat for a history book)! It could be a bit dull in parts if you're approaching Charlemagne's reign as a new topic, however. A chapter is dedicated to the necessary yet boring topic of the complex genesis and interpretations of various contemporary sources. Collins also likes to focus on the mundane realities of government, and his approach to Charlemagne's more Hollywood-friendly military campaigns are a bit dry, though this is the nature of studying history! This has everything you could want to know about the great warrior king of Late Antiquity, who for some reason seems to go unheard of in the history curriculum of British schools! For that reason, I'd recommend it.

Karolus Magnus: Pater Europa!!