Charlemagne

by Roger Collins

Charlemagne remains one of the most compelling figures in European history. In this lively, vivid portrait of an extraordinary monarch and his achievements, Roger Collins profiles the most powerful and significant ruler in Western Europe between the end of the Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance. While his achievements were in some ways ephemeral (after all, his great empire soon broke up), he can still clearly be seen as the figure who transformed the nature of Europe and ushered in a period which has an explicit and comprehensible connection with our own.

Genres: History, Biography, European History, Medieval

256 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!!