Province and Empire: Brittany and the Carolingians (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series) [Paperback]

Julia M. H. Smith (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521030307 | ISBN-13: 978-0521030304 | Publication Date: November 2, 2006 | Edition: Digitally Printed 1st Pbk. Version

This book offers ideas about the processes of political and cultural change in the early Middle Ages. The main focus is on relations between the centre and periphery of the Carolingian empire, in particular on the development of Brittany as a territorial principality in the ninth and tenth centuries. A major theme is the interaction of Carolingian imperial policies, Frankish aristocratic feuding, and local Breton communities. Other issues discussed include economy and society in Brittany and Neustria, the impact of Carolingian imperialism on local Breton communities, changes in the political, ecclesiastical and social structures arising from Carolingian overlordship of Brittany, the interaction of Celtic and Carolingian culture, and the construction of an early medieval ethnic identity. The book shows how regional autonomy and self-regulating villages were as integral to the Carolingian world as court politics, cultural imperialism and frontier strife, and it argues that, in order to understand both the establishment and the collapse of the Carolingian empire, politics at the periphery demand as much attention as politics at the centre.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

This book is a study of imperialism and its consequences in the early Middle Ages. Focusing on the development of Brittany as a Carolingian principality, this book offers interpretations of the largest western empire of the medieval period.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Digitally Printed 1st Pbk. Version edition (November 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521030307
• ISBN-13: 978-0521030304
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,244,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A model for regional studies, May 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Province and Empire: Brittany and the Carolingians (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series) (Hardcover)

For any college/university student, graduate student, or anyone simply interested in the Carolingian period of the early Middle Ages, Smith's book is a must-read. The Carolingian Empire was vast, covering most of western Europe, so the best way to understand how things worked is through regional studies. Smith admirably accomplishes her task of describing the structures of power relations inside Brittany as well as how this region played a role in the wider civilization. She shows how kings and emperors dealt with rebellious nobles and managed the distribution of lands and offices to secure their power. Just as important, she illustrates how Bretons used their relationships with Frankish kings to strengthen their own positions. In the early Middle Ages, churches and monasteries were major players in the game of power politics, and by no means does Smith neglect these entities. What is more, her view encompasses more than just the elite, taking in people whose sphere of activity was more localized as well. Since the Carolingians initiated a program of cultural reform, Smith reserves a chapter to illustrate the Breton conditions of that as well. All in all, this is a first-rate study.