Customer Reviews

Struggle for Empire: Kingship and Conflict Under Louis the German, 817-876

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Louis the German never gets as much attention as his brother Charles the Bald or his father Louis the Pious or his grandfather Charlemagne. At least not in English. So this book serves as a welcome addition to the books on the Carolingians. What this book offers is basically a look at how the Empire operated in the 9th Century. It was run on very much an ad hoc basis although the goals and methods were similar throughout. Unlike many scholarly books who have been strongly influenced by the German school, this book does not divide the reign into different topics but goes through it chronologically. I generally prefer that in a biography since it allows you to see how things changed throughout the reign rather than making generalizations on specific topics from the entire period. This book reads very well indeed. While a great deal of it is repetitive that's because much of Louis' life was repetitive. His entire story was an attempt to gain power and influence at the expense of his brothers and neighbors. Generally Louis gets a bad rap since he was the enemy of Charles the Bald, a man who if not liked is at least sympathized with for he had to face the brunt of the Viking attacks. Louis got off easier but his lack of chroniclers makes his reign vaguer. This book offers as much information on Louis as is available, presenting his actions and goals in a historical context.

At the end of the day I can say that I know no more about Louis' personality than I did before reading the book, but I do know a great deal more about his kingdom and his efforts to rule it. That's as good as you can get for any man of this period.

A brilliant combination of academic research and a delightful reading. I have been looking for something contemporary, with the right amount of nuances and methodological precisions, and easy to follow for a non-expert but a fan of early medieval history
Mr. Goldberg, I am waiting for your next publication!

One of the best books on the Carolingian era. Excellent reading for a reader with an interest in the era and has fine notes for the serious student of the time. The end maps add to the understanding of the texts. Covers an area that has had little attention.