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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Medieval politics are at the core of this book, August 31, 2007
I've read many books on the Medieval period and Charlemagne in the last two years. This is now one of my favorites. Jeff Sypeck put the events of the period in a context which allows the reader to understand the various political forces competing against one another during that era, and the skill used by King Charles which ultimately led to him being referred to as King Charles the Great or Charlemagne. I had read mentions of Empress Irene of the Byzantine Empire before, but her villainy and treachery never really impressed me until reading Sypeck's version. This time it took on the magnitude worthy of Shakespearean tragedies. The lives of Jews during the time of Charlemagne is a topic I had not seen mentioned at any length in the other various books I read, and Sypeck devoted a chapter to discussing how their treatment which by and large are hidden in the historical record. Charlemagne did not persecute Jews as he did those in his realm who worshiped pagan idols. Many Jews were educated, well-traveled, merchants, and officials in the royal courts. One Jew was sent by Charlemagne as an ambassador to Baghdad to speak with the leader of the Muslim empire, Harun al-Rashid. It is the various acts of political gifts from one leader to another (Harun to Charlemagne) which were then perceived as a political slight by other leaders (Empress Irene) that I found most fascinating. And then there is the dramatic saga of Pope Leo III and his attempted assassination that underscores the dramatic story of Charlemagne's coronation as Emperor. This isn't dry history with a simple recitation of facts, it is a story of intrigue brought to life. You know that Shakespeare had to base his stories on something.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The abbot, the empress, the caliph, the Jewish merchant and the elephant who helped create Charlemagne, January 2, 2009
This review is from: Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800 (Paperback)
The scene is set in the opening paragraph, with the author's description of the coronation of the Frankish king who would become known as Charlemagne, an event, he claims, that would not have been possible without "a Saxon abbot; a Greek empress; an Islamic caliph and a Jew named Isaac who was slowly making his way home to Western Europe from Baghdad, accompanied by an elephant named Abul Abaz." That sentence also captures the book's tone: it is an engaging and lively survey of Charlemagne's evolution as the one of the first of the Holy Roman Emperors (a title that would last, more or less, for some nine hundred years until 1806) which makes a fascinating and ultra-accessible introduction to the man and his times for the general reader. (It's not likely to be of interest to someone with a scholarly interest in the Frankish kings, for instance.) Why read this today? Charlemagne was the first to conceive of a Europe that was broader than any single small kingdom or fiefdom since the disappearance of the Romans (who thought in larger terms still); indeed, the European Union's buildings, etc. pay tribute to him by using his name. He was a patron of the arts and while people focus more on the Renaissance that began in the 14th century in Italy, the emperor oversaw an earlier "Carolingian renaissance." Sypeck leaps effortlessly from the bloody battles over the use of icons in the Byzantime court to the fascinating personality of Haroun al-Rashid in Baghdad, and shows a skill for reading between the few lines that history has in the passage of more than a millennium. He uses his imagination (anathema to scholars) to show us not a 21st century version of Charlemagne, but how he might have been perceived by his peers during the time he ruled, when kingdoms like those of the Merovingians had replaced an all-encompassing Roman empire. Too often, events in different countries in these "Dark Ages" are viewed in isolation from each other -- how could, for instance, what was happening in Baghdad of Byzantium affect Charlemagne's ability to consolidate his power? Alas, Sypeck's attempts to make a case for a first millennium networked world strikes me as over-ambitious, and he doesn't really prove his case. That's not to say that his digressions into papal politics and diplomacy with the caliph or marriage overtures to the Empress Irene are irrelevant, simply that he doesn't prove that they carry the weight that he claims for them. The analysis, however intriguing in its own right, doesn't rise to that level, particularly with reference to Isaac and the elephant. Still an extremely compelling read and one that should be able to convince any reader that history -- however far away in time and space -- can be as fascinating as anything taking place in our own lives. I'm a big fan of anyone able to take ancient records and spin them into stories like this, some of which kept my 5-year-old nephew enthralled for an hour. (Ok, I simplified for him, but now he's bugging my brother for more about Charlemagne...) Highly recommended to general readers; historians or those with a solid grounding in the Merovingian kings and emperors will want to look elsewhere unless they are in the mood for the scholar's equivalent of fun weekend reading.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Riveting times... the book didn't quite meet my expectations, October 8, 2008
This review is from: Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800 (Paperback)
I'm a science major in the midst of a survey course on Medieval Europe. Though this book was assigned reading, I enjoy reading historical fiction in general. The time period from A.D 796-800 is a particularly exciting era to study. The political, religious and social climate was extremely turbulent and the notable characters from this era are interesting to study. Overall, the book covers a great deal of ground without going into much depth. This would perhaps be the most positive aspect of this work. My primary issue with this book is that it is particularly difficult to follow. Chronologically, it is all over the place. Geographically, it is all over the map. Some major events are discussed in multiple places throughout the book and it can be difficult for a student or casual (non-historian) to become immersed in the story. Another minor complaint I have was the fact that the author Sypeck used multiple terms to describe the same people, places and things. Again, as a student or layman you might not immediately recognize that Karl = Charlemagne = Charles. Clearly, the author assumes that we are already rather familiar with the era and the lingo that goes along with it. These things put aside, I found the book to be more enjoyable the second time I read through it after I familiarized myself with the the time period a little bit more. I'm currently searching for some other similar works based on the time period for comparison's sake.
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