The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe

by Pierre Riché

Book Overview

Pierre Rich traces the emergence of Europe from the seventh to the early eleventh century, the period that witnessed the rise, fall, and revival of the Carolinian Empire. It was during this time the first contours of a broad new civilization and the first visible signs of European unity are discernable.

Until the seventh century Europe was simply a geographic term; as Isidore of Seville defined it, Europe was "the space that extended from...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812213424
• ISBN13: 9780812213423
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
• Length: 424 Pages
• Weight: 1.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

excellent

Agree with all of the great reviews. Great starting point for an academic study of this period but as noted footnotes are lacking. Writing style is enjoyable and structure of the book creates an easy to understand narrative. Good first buy if you have a basic knowledge of this period and desire further illumination.

The Best of its Kind

Riche's treatment of the Carolingian dynasty and era is masterful, and towers above other such treatments. Beginning with the late Merovingian kings and the slow rise of the Carolingians, and ending with the establishment of the new regional dynasties this book covers almost three hundred years of history in dramatic fashion. Riche focuses on who the Carolingians were as persons and as rulers, giving his descriptions of events a feeling of real truth. At the same time, Riche rises above merely writing a narrative history. Woven into the story of the Carolingians is much academic discussion of policies, administration, linguistics, economics, military science and technology. Riche goes so far as to end the book with an eighty-page discussion of Carolingian society, focusing on the Church, the features of kingship, economics, and the "Carolingian Renaissance."For those of you wary of Romance-language scholarship, know that the book does lack notes, but the sources are clearly stated within the text. As far as translation goes, this is the best French-into-English translations out there.Given that there is only one map, it would be a good idea to get a historical atlas to accompany this book.

Outstanding

An excellent book, with sufficient detail for professional historians yet presented clearly and engagingly enough for the non-expert. I highly recommend this for anyone with an interest in European history, and particularly in the Middle Ages, as the noble families who rose to power across Europe under the Carolingians -- the dukes of Normandy and Aquitaine; the house of Anjou, etc. -- figure prominently in the following centuries. The family trees at the back were invaluable -- but I was irked to note that the number of maps had been cut badk "at the request of the publisher," so there was only one...and it was inadequate.

Pierre Riche's The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe

For those of you who think that the Dark Ages was characterized by illiterate drunk men dressed and acting like Thor, Pierre Riche's The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe will come as welcome releif.By tracing the evolution of this one family from obscurity to the zenith of power under Charlemagne and decline under the late pre-Capetian kings of France and the Ottonians of Germany, Riche has in essence captured the spirit of Western/Central Europe itself. Plentiful notation and research not only documents the world of Late Merovingian Sub-Roman Gaul, but that of the early Middle Ages as well. We learn about Byzantine politics, assasination, love affairs, the Church, Basques, Moors, political crises, architecture, international relations, war, scholarship, barbarians, beauty, decay, petty dynasts, torture, and literacy.Family histories are difficult to write. There is a tendency to speculate on interpersonal relationships, petty rivalries, recurring family traits, fighting over the family business, etc. However, the Carolingians were a family whose business was Europe. It is interesting to see how cooperation and organization could help the Caroligingians to climb the lofty heights of power and recover from disaster, including an abortive attempt to place one of their members on the French throne about a century before Pippin the Short took the crown from the Merovingians. However, a century after Pippin, his great-great grandchildren were the masters of most of Europe and spent most of their energy fighting each other and ultimately became politically impotent and insignificant. Their last known family members either married into the Capetian/Ottonian families or simply vanished into the mists of time never to rule again.Riche is adept at combining the history of this remarkable family with that of Europe as a whole. After reading The Carolingians, one will have a much clearer notion of what life was like during the Dark Ages