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

Patrick J. Geary (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195044584 | ISBN-13: 978-0195044584 | Publication Date: February 25, 1988

From the twilight of the Roman Empire emerged the kingdoms of Merovingian Europe (c. 400-700 AD), which were, in turn, the basis for the nations of medieval and modern Europe. Professor Geary draws on the latest archaeological and historical findings to elucidate one of the least understood periods of European history. This text is aimed at both survey and graduate courses on medieval history, which invariably take the Merovingian period as their starting point. The other available works on this subject are widely acknowledged to be either inadequate or out of date. This concise synthesis of the latest scholarship of Merovingian specialists, whose work appears almost exclusively in highly specialized German or French monographs, will also be welcomed by scholars seeking to keep abreast of the current historiography of this important transitional period in European history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Clear and concise survey."--James Grier, Yale University

"An excellent guide to the Merovingian world, especially for my beginning graduate students!"--Coor, University of Arkansas

"A history of the transformation of the Roman provincial world....All archaelogists will be grateful to the author for this large and beautifully produced work, since there has been no comparable publication...Geary is a gifted synthesizer."--Classical World

"A marvelous synthesis and competent survey of Northern Europe after the German tribes entered the Roman Empire...Geary wrote this clearly and simply which makes it valuable for both an undergraduate and graduate audience."--Louis Haas, Duquesne University

"Full of insights, related in clear and concise form, in a manner likely to appeal to and enlighten undergraduates. It will arouse a new interest in a period relatively neglected, even by medievalists."--Karen Nicholes, State University of New York, Oswego

"This is a reliable and readable synthesis that makes good sense of recent research."--T. N. Bisson, Harvard University

"A fine and important book. Geary really does know the literature in all the relevant languages. He is not merely a gifted synthesizer; he is one of the research scholars in the field. I would adopt it; I have been waiting for such a survey."--Edward Peters, University of Pennsylvania

"An excellent survey of the Merovingian period. The...integration of perspectives from political, social, and religious history along with material culture and archaeology explains Merovingian civilization clearly and ...brings the Merovingians to life."--Karen Gould, University of Texas at Austin

"The first book of its kind in English...very good. It steers a sensible course through minefields of controversy."--Thomas F.X. Noble, University of Virginia

"A very revealing yet succinct account of a topic long considered confused if not irrelevant. Geary's synthesis is based upon firm control of early medieval sources and modern scholarship."--Harry Rosenberg, Colorado State University

About the Author

Patrick J. Geary is at University of California, Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 25, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195044584
• ISBN-13: 978-0195044584
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #183,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 57 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
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, September 15, 2002

By 

Glenn McDorman (Denver) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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

By 

James V. Sylvester (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

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.