Short Synopsis
When the legendary Frankish king and emperor Charlemagne died in 814 he left behind a dominion and a legacy unlike anything seen in Western Europe since the fall of Rome.

Full Synopsis
When the legendary Frankish king and emperor Charlemagne died in 814 he left behind a dominion and a legacy unlike anything seen in Western Europe since the fall of Rome. Johannes Fried paints a compelling portrait of a devout ruler, a violent time, and a unified kingdom that deepens our understanding of the man often called the father of Europe.

"This is a magisterial study of the life and times of the Frankish king who became the first Holy Roman Emperor." ---Publishers Weekly

"Few [Charlemagne biographies] capture so well the unlovely realities of Carolingian politics and the sheer technical difficulty of ruling a medieval empire in the absence of a state apparatus." ---Wall Street Journal

"An excellent view of a mysterious monarch." ---Seattle Book Review

"For those who wish to grapple with Charlemagne’s life in its entirety, without false certainties, Fried’s book is the best choice." ---Foreign Affairs