The Annals of Lampert of Hersfeld

This is the first English translation of the eleventh-century Annals of Lampert, monk of Hersfeld, often described as the foremost Latin chronicler of the Middle Ages.

The work includes an introduction and a detailed commentary, particularly concerned with the long disputed question of the credibility of Lampert's account. The introduction deals with the career of the author, the date of his composition, his literary personality and world-picture.

Lampert produced the most detailed narrative source of the Central Middle Ages in his account of the crisis years 1056-77 in the kingdom of Germany. The importance of the Annals lies especially in the account (the fullest extant) of the minority of King Henry IV of Germany and first decade of his personal rule. Lampert provided the fullest account of the erosion of loyalty of the princes during Henry IV's minority, the criticisms against Henry IV's regime (especially its conduct towards the German Church), the Saxon rebellion of 1073-5 against Henry IV and the opening stages of the conflict between Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII.

In his Annals Lampert showed himself to be both 'the unrivalled master among medieval historians' and 'a superb story-teller' through his skill in description and characterisation and in the sheer exuberance of his narrative. His work has indeed often the character of the liveliest of adventure-stories.

The book is aimed at teachers and students of medieval history, undergraduate and postgraduate but also at the non-specialist reader of the great works of European literature.

I.S. Robinson is Lecky Professor of History and Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin