Charlemagne [Paperback]

Roger Collins (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0802082181 | ISBN-13: 978-0802082183 | Publication Date: October 31, 1998 | Edition: 1

This is a new account of the most important period in the history of Europe between the end of the Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance. The reign of Charlemagne (768-814) saw the unification of many areas of France, Italy and Germany, Spain and central Europe, as well as the revival of the title 'Emperor in the West.' At the same time, the cultural and artistic revival that took place in western Europe under Charlemagne's rule both led to the preservation of much of the intellectual heritage of Antiquity and inspired succeeding generations of scholars and artists up to the time of the Renaissance. While the empire that Charlemagne created proved short-lived, the title 'Holy Roman Emperor' remained in continuous use until 1806, and his achievements have inspired a succession of both military conquerors and would-be unifiers of Europe up to the present day. Numerous ideas and institutions were revived or created in this period which would serve to shape the future development of western Europe throughout the Middle Ages and beyond.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'...a fresh, economically-documented and clear review of a forty-five year reign that, 1200 years on, still invites attention from anyone interested in the history of Europe and its neighbours.' - S.A. Bullough Ecclesiastical History '...this lively, vivid portrait of an extraordinary monarch and his achievements...A must for any students of the emerging Europe.' - M.W. Smith, British-German Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Roger Collins is a Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Edinburgh, and the author of several books on early medieval European history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division; 1 edition (October 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802082181
• ISBN-13: 978-0802082183
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,600,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Creation of an Empire, March 28, 2002

By 

"guiscard" (Toms River, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charlemagne (Paperback)

This readable political biography of Charlemagne was written by Roger Collins, whose knowledge of medieval history is evident in the other books he has written on medieval history.
Collins begins this biography with a discussion of the sources available concerning Charlemagne. Then he discusses the rise of the Carolingians, pointing out the factional infighting indicating that the rise of the Carolingians was not a foregone conclusion.

Before Charlemagne's time the Frankish Empire was made of two kingdoms. Charlemagne shared rule of these kingdoms with his brother Carloman. But Charlemagne and his brother Carloman fought each other until Charlemagne won and gained control of all Francia. Carloman abdicated to become a monk.

Charlemagne continued the expansion of Frankish influence over his neighbors begun by his predecessors, only on a greater scale. Collins recounts how Charlemagne continued the invasions of Saxony begun by his ancestors, forcing thousands to convert to Christianity, slaughtering them if they refused. Then Collins tells how Charlemagne invaded the Lombards in Italy like his predecessors. We see how Charlemagne was invited to Spain to help the Moslem governors keep control, and then returned to the Saxons who started causing trouble again. Charlemagne also fought rebellious subjects in Bavaria. He expanded his control into the Balkans where he defeated the Avars. Finally Charlemagne invaded Denmark to control the Danes and managed to influence Byzantine controlled Venice.

But military expansion was not Charlemagne's only legacy. Collins demonstrates how Charlemagne attempted to revive and reform the spiritual and intellectual life of the empire. Collins also tells about the reasons and results of Charlemagne's imperial coronation on Christmas day 800, not least gaining the imperial title from the pope, which Charlemagne used with the titles of `King of the Franks', and `King of the Lombards'.

This is not a personal biography. Collins only mentions Charlemagne's children or wives when he discusses how Charlemagne divided the Frankish empire. Neither is this a military history, there are no accounts of battles or discussion of weapons.
There are a series of maps to clarify the book and an excellent set of notes and a good bibliography.
All in all Collins has written an excellent account of Charlemagne's life.

4 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting biography of Charlegmagne, December 27, 1999

By 

"722703172" (Toms River New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charlemagne (Paperback)

This is an interesting biography of Charlemagne, illustrating his actions policies and the people he dealt with.