Charlemagne

Charlemagne is seen by historians as the bridge between ancient and modern Europe. His Holy Roman Empire was the embodiment of an ideal that inspired leaders as different as Charles V, Napoleon, and Hitler, each of whom sought to make a unified Europe a reality again in their own times.

In this new biography, the first major study of Charlemagne in more than twenty-five years, Derek Wilson provides an absorbing and lively account of his life, character, and accomplishments. Charlemagne transcends every notion we have of the traditional historical hero. A military strategist of Julius Caesar’s caliber, he had no knowledge of classical history. A ruler with the sagacity of Marcus Aurelius, he ordered summary executions more reminiscent of Caligula or Nero. A devout believer who ensured the survival of Christianity in the West, he considered himself above the Church, sired numerous bastard children, and generated accusations of incest.

Written by one of England’s most respected biographers, CHARLEMAGNE is a masterful, multidimensional portrait of a great historical figure–a man whose earthy passions were surpassed only by his religious devotion, and whose religious devotion was exceeded only by his homicidal anger.

DEREK WILSON is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including Rothschild: The Wealth and Power of a Dynasty, Hans Holbein: Portrait of an Unknown Man, and Tudor Tapestry: Men, Women and Society in Reformation England. He lives in Devon, England.