Charlemagne

by Richard Winston

From his father, Charlemagne inherited only a part of the Frankish kingdom - little more than half of modern France and the Low Countries. Before his astonishing career had ended, he had conquered half of Europe and his armies had marched through Italy, Germany, and Spain. In a glittering Christmas Day ceremony in Rome, in the year 800, he was crowned the new Holy Roman Emperor. More than the heroic conqueror of Western Europe, Charlemagne was an intense and thoughtful human being. His succession of five wives brought him a palace full of children. So warm was his love for his daughters that he could never bear to see them married away from the court, even though enticing alliances with other rulers were offered them. A deeply religious man, Charlemagne became the protector of orthodox Christianity against medieval heresies. A patron of learning, he established schools and brought artists and scholars to his court to work and study. As a result, most classical literature comes down to us in copies of books made in Charlemagne's time. Here, from National Book Award winner Richard Winston, is his remarkable story

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, France, Medieval, Medieval History, Historical

154 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[Curtis J. Correll · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I bought this title, I was thinking, "This will be good for me to learn; it might even be interesting at times." I was surprised to find the book never had any dull spots. I did learn so many interesting things that helped set a great backdrop for the roots of France and Germany, feudalism, the history of education, the Vikings, the Ottoman Empire's rise, and even the Norman invasion of England in subsequent centuries. That I was able to become so much more knowledgeable about a time and person we only hear a little about while enjoying a biography that was so readable was wonderful!

[Steven Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fine biography of Charles the Great, Charlemagne, or Karl der Grosse. It amazes me how biographers can bring an historical figure to life--even when they lived over a thousand years ago.

Here, we see the growth of a young man, father to a king (Pepin). His rise to kingship. His family life--with a number of wives. The pain of losing wives.

The story of his rule over time. His military wins--and disappointments. In the process, he created a large kingdom and allied with the Pope to strengthen the Catholic church. A map at the end of the volume demonstrates the immensity of Charlemagne's empire.

All in all, a worthwhile volume to get a sense of this great king. . . .

[Hasdrubal Barca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see Charles the Great and the Carolingian renaissance that he brought about as a bridge between the ancient and modern worlds. I see this man with one foot in ancient Rome and one foot in modern Europe and his bridge connects me to the ancient empires that reach across time to influence the modern West. Winston says it best describing the Pope's gift to Charles of a copy of the "Canons of the Roman Church" which was a distillation of a thousand years of Roman jurisprudence as a thing to "fuse the disparate Roman and Teutonic traditions into one Europe and the person of Charles represents at once the raw metals and the end product of the alloy." This incredible biography, without question the best ever written about Charlemagne in the English language and one of the greatest biographies of the 20th century, is a thrilling and poignant chronicle of the greatest of Medieval kings. I loved reading this book.

[Vincent Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a historical book centering around Charles the Great, King of the Franks or as he is better known today as Charlemagne, one of the more famous figures during Medieval times. This book covers the deeds in which his predecessors were known for on through his life from childhood to death and a bit of what his descendents are famous for.

The book does cover a lot of conjecture trying to give the author's best guess as to what may have occurred during certain times in his life or how Charlemagne or some other historical figure might have been thinking while some event was taking place. Typically he does this based on knowledge of how people viewed the world at that stage in history or on specific wordings on documents, biographies or letters written at the time.

I enjoyed this book and I recommend it to somebody who might also enjoy history.

[Neil Pearson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been meaning to discover more about Charlemagne from some interesting teasers in general history. It may be a case of there not actually being that much information about him as an entire book dedicated to his life was rather dull. The author is one of those with a love for overly fancy language which is something I personally dislike as it feels that their intent is to sound clever rather than clear. There are moments of interest, usually when the author is disputing a popular theory. However the excessive detail simply achieved in making me feel the man was quite dull which I'm sure is not the case or the intention of the Author. I'd avoid unless you are a Charlemagne completest but I'd hope their are better books on the matter.
The audio narration suited the style of writing in that it was a ridiculous form of Queen's English where vowels were mangled where-ever possible.

[Richard Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's book is set in Medieval Europe during the 8th century and a bit into the ninth. It is a very readable, understandable primer about the historical life of Charles, son of Pepin. Charles, called "the great," was a complex character, excelling in brutal warfare, excruciating punishments, and amazing empire-expansion together with sensibilities toward the arts and education, as well as land reform and feeding his people. He was particularly merciless toward the Lombards and Saxons and forced baptisms were not at all uncommon. Charlemagne's relations with the Church were generally good, at one time even gifting several dominions to the Pope, which lands constituted the birth of the Papal States. In turn, Pope Hadrian granted favors to Charles, ultimately crowning him Holy Roman Emperor. A symbiotic relationship existed between Hadrian and Charles, such that Charles called for episcopal councils while Hadrian at times played superordinate to Charles. The author fleshes his main characters out well and supports his historical statements as historians do. My concern is that the book, albeit filled with factual information, does not enter the depth of the matter in a way I wish it would have done. Hence, the three rather than four stars. For the beginner, this book serves well; for the true student of history, the book is a good review or overview but may not serve in terms of unravelling the heart of the matter.

[Eileen Briesch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giant in medieval times

I confess I didn’t know much about Charlemagne when I picked up this book. But I am fascinated by everything after the fall of the Roman Empire. So I wanted to know more about the man who shaped so much of Europe back then. This book delivered.
The author’s conversational tone made the book easy to read. I found myself not wanting to put it down. He tells not only of Charlemagne’s triumphs but the cruel defeats; of his charities and his cruelties. The only thing the emperor couldn’t do was hold his empire together after death; his heirs weren’t up to the task, and then there were the Vikings.
But from Charlemagne’s efforts would come the beginnings of France, Germany and much of Europe. He also contributed much to the social and cultural life as well to education and religion.
This book tells it all, in an interesting manner but doesn’t overwhelm the reader. I enjoyed it immensely and will look for other books on this subject and by this author.

[William Razavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can read this book and still think Charlemagne is a hero then you need your head examined. If you can write this book and conclude it with the wistfulness of the author here then you need your head checked for maintenance. One of the last things Charlemagne does is to solve his "Saxon problem" by forcibly removing most of the population and scattering them into other places to dilute their strength and replace them with settlers in their land. That's not even the worst thing Charlemagne did.
In terms of information it's a good intro to the history of Charlemagne and some of the apologetic serves as a good lesson in historiography as the author openly questions the sources and their motivations for depicting events in certain ways.
All in all it's worth reading this one with a dialectic in mind where you are willing to question some of what the author seems to value in the figure of Charlemagne.

[Elsbeth Kwant]

A very interesting and concise read. 751: Pepin, Charles father is elected king of the Franks, his mother was the first to be crowned too. Charles followed him as king, concerning himself with learning and beauty as well as with utility - flowers besides vegetables, swans for ornament as well as pheasants for the table. His conquests soon gathered speed. I had never before heard of the Avars, who later became a saying in Eastern Europe ('disappeared like the Avars'). They had a Khakhan (ruler), with a famous fortress known as the Ring with nine concentric walls protecting an enormous treasure. The treasure was won - and led to huge inflation. Charles became Emperor of the West, the first since 476 ad. The massacre at Verden of 4500 Saxons was a cruel deed. Later- a meteor flashed along the sky. His throne is still visible at Aachen - will visit at some point. Enjoyed it.

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Charlemagne” is a little book (101 pages) about a man who casts a very big shadow across European history. I only knew that he was the original King of France (wrong!) and the first Holy Roman Emperor. I didn’t realize that he conquered so much territory to become the first HRE.

The history is told in a very breezy style, which really diminishes the horror one should feel when told that he slaughtered 4,500 Saxon lords to finally ends years of revolt in Saxony or the ambush of his army in Spain.

I feel like this was probably written as part of a series of “great lives” books on important historical figures for elementary school students. Anyway, I know more than I did 101 pages ago about Charlemagne.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of the reign of Charlemagne. It is written in a style that is easy to follow. I would have liked the author to go into more detail on certain aspects of Charlemagne's life. The main drawback was that the author, at least in my opinion, failed to remain objective about his subject and allowed a sense of hero worship to enter the text. This led to some inconsitancies in the analysis of some of the aspects of Charlemagnes life.

[Philip Boudjouk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlemagne by Winston

Written in an engaging manner, this book is perfect for the reader who wants a good first look at Charles the Great. The author wastes no time in taking the reader through the events that shaped the reign of the giant of the eighth century. He provides the essential facts, some background behind the outcomes and their impacts both contemporary and long term. The writing style is engaging making for a delightful read.

[Jim Manis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick easy read about Charles the Great, a precursor to "the Renaissance man." Contemporaneous with the written composition of the Beowulf epic poem. Charlemagne was the last man to successfully unite Europe. He also convinced a Pope to crown him as Roman emperor after more than 300 years without one in the west. I couldn't help but think of "Game of Thrones" while reading this and by the end, "Vikings."

[King of Thule · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on short history of life of Charlemagne and his family. Author was not only stating facts but also proposing questions on the events he just described trying to find out the motives of those said actions and what could they entail while also dissecting the claims of his rival authors. Only improvement could have been to give a short backstory of all the people mentioned instead of just their relation to Charlemagne.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

all I knew about Charlemagne was what I learned in tenth grade. I understand much better now why he was great. I had not known that he reconstituted so much of the old Roman Empire, from Denmark to Yugoslavia, for example. I am enlightened.

[Michael Swart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good history

Many details about this interesting period and person. Bury why was his sainthood not mentioned? I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this period @ 800 and the first attempt to unify Europe

[Phil Ellenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

Most are seat of Charles the ggrea,at least those who didn't sleep though their H history classes. However,this book should give the more than casual historian insights into Charles ,relious,and Carolina history. It did that to me.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Real Charles the Great

Charles the great, or Charlemagne, was one of the most influential rulers ever in Europe. Much of what he did have lasting effects on the entire world. This book takes a very objective look at Charlemagne's rule.

[Enrique Incle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Effective overview

This book is a perfunctory analysis and overview regarding the life and accomplishments of Charlemagne. It doesn’t delve too deeply so I recommend as an introduction into the life and times of Charlemagne.

[Edward Weiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great book but I really enjoyed it. This is a period of history in which the western world underwent dramatic changes. If you share my interest listen to the audiobook. I don't think I have the patience or the eyesight to get through this by reading it on the printed page.

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read

I was able to learn in this enjoyable quick read the pictures at the end were lovely finish it up I was happy to see the map as well.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cliffnotes

Just the most simple review of the subject......a high school level read. Why more words are required to submit I can only guess.


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[Stuart Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing biography

It seems that he was forced to build an empire. Worth reading even if you are not interested in history.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but somewhat short

Great book, but I found myself asking questions that the book didn't answer in terms of greater details. All in all, a great book.

[Douglas K Mosier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history

The best history of Charlemagne I have ever read. Comprehensive with great insight not only what he did but who he was.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. A good overview of the life of Charlemagne. It was an easy read and well explained. I wish some chapters treated their topics with a bit more depth, but it is a fine book anyways.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading. Brief historical summary of Charlemagne's life and work.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very fast read that gives details on one of the biggest figures in the early Middle Ages.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlemagne.

A brief history of Charlemagne that covers all the most important aspects of his life and rule as well as the Churches and schools or monasteries he had built.

[Scott Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good primer on the history surrounding Charlemagne, but not terribly in depth.