Before France and Germany: The Creation and Transformation of the Merovingian World [Hardcover]

Patrick J. Geary (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 1988

In this innovative new study, Patrick Geary rejects traditional notions of European history to present the Merovingian period (ca. 400-750) as an integral part of Late Antiquity. Drawing on current scholarship in archaeology, cultural history, historical ethnography, and other fields, the author formulates an original interpretation not only of Merovingian history but of the Romano-barbarian world from which it arose. Mapping the complex interactions of a volatile era, he carefully traces the Romanization of barbarians and the barbarization of Romans that ultimately made these populations indistinguishable. Authoritative and elegantly written, Before France and Germany
*presents an original and powerful synthesis of one of the most misunderstood periods of European history
*draws on the latest archaeological, ethnographic, and historical findings, including grave finds, court documents, and kinship records
*establishes the Merovingian world as an integral part of late antiquity
*culls and interprets a wealth if specialist Continental scholarship in a concise, readable style
This new study is an important contribution to our understanding of a crucial but often neglected period of Western history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[This] important and useful study is a creative synthesis that presents a new and striking interpretation of the world of Merovingian Europe. He draws together a significant body of recent scholarship....The book's revised assessment of the nature and significance of the Merovingian world should find a wide audience among those interested in medieval Europe."--Choice

About the Author

Patrick J. Geary is at University of California, Los Angeles. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 25, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195044576
• ISBN-13: 978-0195044577
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,383,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Frank Exploration of The Merovingian Dynasty, June 20, 2000

By 

Gerald M. Vrooman (Chenango Forks, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Before France and Germany: The Creation and Transformation of the Merovingian World (Paperback)

During the fifth century, the country we know as France was overrun by a horde of German speaking barbarians called the Franks. After subjugating the Gallo-Roman population, the Franks somehow ended up speaking French and wearing berets. Or so I was taught in high school.

What is wrong with this picture? Generally when a country is conquered, the victors impose their language and culture on the vanquished, not the other way around. Most history books devote about two paragraphs to this period of French history.

If you have ever wondered how a group of plain, down to earth, barbarians could have produced a guy by the name of Charlemagne, Patrick J. Geary has the answer. (Hint: The barbarians were relatively few in number, and the Gallo-Roman aristocracy was never really conquered.) Geary's book is heavy reading in places, but it explores in depth the complex relationship between the Franks and the Gallo-Romans. Much that is confusing about European history can be cleared up by reading this book.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, September 15, 2002

By 

Glenn McDorman (Denver) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Before France and Germany: The Creation and Transformation of the Merovingian World (Paperback)

Geary's work is an enlightening look at the transformation from the Roman to the medieval in the transalpine Roman provinces. Geary easily dispels the myth of barbarian invasions and the "fall" of Rome. A complex and weary narrative is turned into a simple and intersting one. Geary does not waste his time (and ours) in pointless name-dropping. He gets right down to the core of the social, economic, and political story. Additionally, Geary quietly, but effectively, addresses one of the major controversies in early medieval studies: what was the economic impact of the Germanic migrations? This book is a must have for anyone interested in the classical or medieval periods and goes a long way to clearing up a lot of misconceptions.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique; Narrow Focus, August 6, 2003

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James V. Sylvester (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Before France and Germany: The Creation and Transformation of the Merovingian World (Paperback)

In his own words, Geary's purpose was "not to launch some new theory about the origins of European civilization, but to make available the vast literature on late antiquity and the early Middle Ages which has, for a variety of reasons, seldom been presented in a manner accessible to a broader audience, particularly to an English-reading one."

Understanding that the intent was to synthesize a much larger body of work, it is important to also understand that Geary's focus is laser-beam tight on the Merovingian dynasty within the Frankish kingdoms of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th centuries. For those without some familiarity to the period, I would suggest reading a couple of chapters from a more general work such as "Medieval Europe" (Hollister & Bennett) even if just not to be surprised when the early Carolingians start showing up on the page. (Geary assumes you'll instantly know who "Pippin" was.)

My one reservation about the book lies in the torrent of names that take up about forty pages towards the end. That is probably a curse of writing about Merovingians in the 8th century, period, but I found it impossible to keep my Nantechildis separate from my Flaochad while keeping a mental finger on Clothar II, Grimoald, and Childebert (along with many more).

Otherwise, I found the book quite engaging, particularly with respect to the early merger of the Franks into Roman-Gallo society and its reporting on the differing roles and influences that the bishops, monks, and eventually the Roman Benedictines assumed and exercised within the early Frankish kingdoms.