Charlemagne

Rating:
Summary: boring
Review: F O R G E T!!!!!!!! Y O U!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting biography of Charlegmagne
Review: This is an interesting biography of Charlemagne, illustrating his actions policies and the people he dealt with.

Rating:
Summary: The Creation of an Empire
Review: This readable political biography of Charlemagne was written by Roger Collins, whose knowledge of medieval history is evident in the other books he has written on medieval history.
Collins begins this biography with a discussion of the sources available concerning Charlemagne. Then he discusses the rise of the Carolingians, pointing out the factional infighting indicating that the rise of the Carolingians was not a foregone conclusion.

Before Charlemagne's time the Frankish Empire was made of two kingdoms. Charlemagne shared rule of these kingdoms with his brother Carloman. But Charlemagne and his brother Carloman fought each other until Charlemagne won and gained control of all Francia. Carloman abdicated to become a monk.

Charlemagne continued the expansion of Frankish influence over his neighbors begun by his predecessors, only on a greater scale. Collins recounts how Charlemagne continued the invasions of Saxony begun by his ancestors, forcing thousands to convert to Christianity, slaughtering them if they refused. Then Collins tells how Charlemagne invaded the Lombards in Italy like his predecessors. We see how Charlemagne was invited to Spain to help the Moslem governors keep control, and then returned to the Saxons who started causing trouble again. Charlemagne also fought rebellious subjects in Bavaria. He expanded his control into the Balkans where he defeated the Avars. Finally Charlemagne invaded Denmark to control the Danes and managed to influence Byzantine controlled Venice.

But military expansion was not Charlemagne's only legacy. Collins demonstrates how Charlemagne attempted to revive and reform the spiritual and intellectual life of the empire. Collins also tells about the reasons and results of Charlemagne's imperial coronation on Christmas day 800, not least gaining the imperial title from the pope, which Charlemagne used with the titles of `King of the Franks', and `King of the Lombards'.

This is not a personal biography. Collins only mentions Charlemagne's children or wives when he discusses how Charlemagne divided the Frankish empire. Neither is this a military history, there are no accounts of battles or discussion of weapons.
There are a series of maps to clarify the book and an excellent set of notes and a good bibliography.
All in all Collins has written an excellent account of Charlemagne's life.

Rating:
Summary: The Creation of an Empire
Review: This readable political biography of Charlemagne was written by Roger Collins, whose knowledge of medieval history is evident in the other books he has written on medieval history.
Collins begins this biography with a discussion of the sources available concerning Charlemagne. Then he discusses the rise of the Carolingians, pointing out the factional infighting indicating that the rise of the Carolingians was not a foregone conclusion.

Before Charlemagne's time the Frankish Empire was made of two kingdoms. Charlemagne shared rule of these kingdoms with his brother Carloman. But Charlemagne and his brother Carloman fought each other until Charlemagne won and gained control of all Francia. Carloman abdicated to become a monk.

Charlemagne continued the expansion of Frankish influence over his neighbors begun by his predecessors, only on a greater scale. Collins recounts how Charlemagne continued the invasions of Saxony begun by his ancestors, forcing thousands to convert to Christianity, slaughtering them if they refused. Then Collins tells how Charlemagne invaded the Lombards in Italy like his predecessors. We see how Charlemagne was invited to Spain to help the Moslem governors keep control, and then returned to the Saxons who started causing trouble again. Charlemagne also fought rebellious subjects in Bavaria. He expanded his control into the Balkans where he defeated the Avars. Finally Charlemagne invaded Denmark to control the Danes and managed to influence Byzantine controlled Venice.

But military expansion was not Charlemagne's only legacy. Collins demonstrates how Charlemagne attempted to revive and reform the spiritual and intellectual life of the empire. Collins also tells about the reasons and results of Charlemagne's imperial coronation on Christmas day 800, not least gaining the imperial title from the pope, which Charlemagne used with the titles of 'King of the Franks', and 'King of the Lombards'.

This is not a personal biography. Collins only mentions Charlemagne's children or wives when he discusses how Charlemagne divided the Frankish empire. Neither is this a military history, there are no accounts of battles or discussion of weapons.
There are a series of maps to clarify the book and an excellent set of notes and a good bibliography.
All in all Collins has written an excellent account of Charlemagne's life.