Charlemagne is often claimed as the greatest ruler in Europe before Napoleon. In this magisterial new study, Rosamond McKitterick re-examines Charlemagne the ruler and his reputation. She analyses the narrative representations of Charlemagne produced after his death, and thereafter focuses on the evidence from Charlemagne’s lifetime concerning the creation of the Carolingian dynasty and the growth of the kingdom, the court and the royal household, communications and identities in the Frankish realm in the context of government, and Charlemagne’s religious and cultural strategies. She offers a completely fresh and critical examination of the contemporary sources and in so doing transforms our understanding of the development of the Carolingian empire, the formation of Carolingian political identity, and the astonishing changes effected throughout Charlemagne’s forty-six year period of rule. This is a major contribution to Carolingian history which will be essential reading for anyone interested in the medieval past.
• A comprehensive study of a crucial stage in the formation of European political identity • Offers a fresh analysis of the contemporary primary sources and challenges long-held assumptions • Written by one of the world's leading experts in the field
Contents
1. Representations of Charlemagne; 2. Pippinids, Arnulfings and Agilolfings: the creation of a dynasty; 3. The royal court; 4. The King and the kingdom: communications and identities; 5. Correctio, knowledge and power.
Reviews
'… this erudite study sheds much new light on Charlemagne.' NRC Handelsblad
'This is an important study, a reflection of a life spent considering and writing on Carolingian issues. It supersedes existing studies on Charlemagne in English and, to my mind, those in French as well.' The Historical Association
'[A] magisterial study of this historical figure' H-German
'… this book is a mile-stone in Carolingian scholarship, a critically significant reappraisal of the celebrated emperor and of the impact of his rule, and an achievement which cannot fail to stimulate further work on a number of fronts.' English Historical Review
Printer friendly version
Email a colleague