Charlemagne
Subtitle: father of a continent
By: Alessandro Barbero ; translated by Allan Cameron.
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Berkeley
Language: eng
Number of pages: 426
Subjects: Charlemagne, Emperor, 742-814; France -- Kings and rulers -- Biography.; France -- History -- To 987.; Europe -- History -- 392-814.
Genres: Biography.
Description: "The 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 describes the nature of everyday life at that time, how the economy functioned, and how Christians perceived their religion. Barbero's 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. This latest account provides a new and richer context for considering one of history's most fascinating personalities."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 371-413) and index.
Table of contents: title: The Frankish tradition; title: The war against the Lombards; title: The wars against the pagans; title: The rebirth of empire; title: Charlemagne and Europe; title: The man and his family; title: Government of the empire: the institutions; title: Government of the empire: the resources; title: Government of the empire: the justice system; title: An intellectual project; title: The Frankish military machine; title: A new economy; title: Patronage and servitude; title: Old age and death.