The Franks (The Peoples of Europe) [Paperback]

Edward James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 1991 | ISBN-10: 0631179364 | ISBN-13: 978-0631179368

The Franks first come to light in the third century A.D. as a group of barbarians living in the marshy lowlands of the Rhine frontier of the Roman Empire. By 800 they had become the political heirs of the Romans in the West. Using documentary and archaeological evidence, this book traces the history of the Franks from their barbaric origins to the period of civil and military dominance in Western Europe. It describes the evolution of their society and culture, their conversion to Christianity, the way they ruled and their influence on subsequent ages.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Franks began as a loose confederacy of undistinguished barbarians from the marshy Rhine lowlands. In the third century they attacked Rome, but within 300 years, as rulers of Gaul, Frankish aristocrats became partial heirs to Rome, extending their dominion over much of Western Europe by appointing counts and dukes to rule in their name. This careful account by a senior lecturer in history at the University of York in England uses archeological evidence to fill in the Franks' often obscure history in the five centu ries before Charlemagne (a Frank) was crowned Emperor of Rome in 800 A.D. Crammed with pictures of forts, burial artifacts, coins, bowls and jewelry, the volume is primarily for scholars, but the general reader will enjoy such details as the symbolism of Frankish clothing, the sanctioned custom of family feuds to end disputes and King Guntram's reputed miracle-working and healing powers.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 265 pages
• Publisher: Basil Blackwell (September 3, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631179364
• ISBN-13: 978-0631179368
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Franks by Edward James, May 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Franks (The Peoples of Europe) (Paperback)

Edward James' The Franks is a succinct record of the evolution of the Franks from one of numerous nomadic barbarians, trough the stages of federated allied barbarian tribe and successor kingdom to the Roman Empire, and ultimately to becoming the core of the country of France. For somebody who knows little about the Dark Ages, this book will be a revelation; if you know just the basics of Western Civiliation, this book will certainly fascinate and educate. James not only narrates what happens, but he includes numerous first hand accounts from such luminaries as St. Gregory, Bishop of Tours. Linguistic, religious, and cultural topics are examined in addition to straight history. James's focus is primarily on the Merovingian period, although he examines the Carolingian perios as well. This is not merely a detailed account of who killed who and what happened next; it is a survey of the 5th-9th century Franskish dominions/dependencies and rulers, which ranged from Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Germany, Central Europe and (of course) France. If you had only a few hours to learn a few hundred years of history, then you could do far worse than read this book

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars well illustrated, July 5, 2007

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Franks (The Peoples of Europe) (Hardcover)

In a relatively short account, James explains the history of the main tribe that came to dominate France, and bestow its name.

Unlike history books from earlier decades, this one is well illustrated. Numerous photographs of surviving relics, like armour, jewelry and sundry grave goods. Along with several maps showing the migration paths that the Franks took, as they moved into western Europe.

The sparseness of our knowledge of some of the times in the book is inevitable. The Dark Ages overlaid Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire. But James' narrative offers reasonable conjectures about events.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Overview of the Franks, July 3, 2009

By 

Thomas Fortenberry (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Franks (The Peoples of Europe) (Paperback)

This is an excellent history book. James has a succinct yet enlightening narrative style. This text is chock full of brilliant asides, quotes, and archaeological, linguistic, and sociological sources and arguments. James does a wonderful job examining issues from all sides and pointing out where evidence is weak, conflicting, or rock solid. This is one of the best brief histories I have read in quite a while. Highly ecommended for anyone interested in early European, ancient French, Roman, Celt, or otherwise Frankish history.