Charlemagne: Father of a ContinentThe most important study of Charlemagne in a generation, this biography by distinguished medievalist Alessandro Barbero illuminates both the man and the world in which he lived. Charles the Great—Charlemagne—reigned from a.d. 768 to a.d. 814. At the time if his death, his empire stretched across Europe to include Bavaria, Saxony, parts of Spain, and Italy. With a remarkable grasp of detail and a sweeping knowledge of Carolingian institutions and economy, Barbero not only brings Charlemagne to life with accounts of his physical appearance, tastes and habits, family life, and ideas and actions but also conveys what it meant to be king of the Franks and, later, emperor. He recounts how Charlemagne ruled his empire, kept justice, and waged wars. He vividly describes the nature of everyday life at that time, how the economy functioned, and how Christians perceived their religion. Barbero's absorbing analysis of how concepts of slavery and freedom were subtly altered as feudal relations began to grow underscores the dramatic changes that the emperor's wars brought to the political landscape. Engaging and informed by deep scholarship, this latest account provides a new and richer context for considering one of history's most fascinating personalities. |
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LibraryThing Review
Avis d'utilisateur - Hae-Yu - LibraryThingRather than a linear narrative, this book is more of a thematic analysis of Charlemagne and his times. Chapters correspond to different subjects, such as military (administration, recruitment, army ... Consulter l'avis complet
LibraryThing Review
Avis d'utilisateur - LukeS - LibraryThingEurope's (and especially France's) progress from heterogenous collection of Roman colonies and antagonists to Charlemagne's empire at the beginning of the Middle Ages fascinates me. And so I was ... Consulter l'avis complet