Informazioni su questo prodotto

Product Identifiers

PublisherUniversity of California Press

ISBN-100520314204

ISBN-139780520314207

eBay Product ID (ePID)19038301490

Product Key Features

Book TitleKing and Emperor : a New Life of Charlemagne

Number of Pages704 Pages

LanguageEnglish

TopicRoyalty, Cultural Heritage, Europe / France, World, Europe / Medieval

Publication Year2019

IllustratorYes

GenreBiography & Autobiography, History

AuthorJanet L. Nelson

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height2.1 in

Item Weight36.9 Oz

Item Length9 in

Item Width6 in

Additional Product Features

LCCN2019-006653

ReviewsIn her impressive new biography, Janet L Nelson meticulously sifts all the available evidence [on Charlemagne]. At the start she notes (a little terrifyingly) that some 7,000 charters survive from his reign. You can believe she has looked at every single one, so thorough and expansive is this work of scholarship. . . . Nelson uses literary sources adroitly, supplementing more prosaic charter and annalistic evidence with moving poetry., In crafting her new biography of the tremendous king, the British historian Janet L. Nelson has trawled well-traveled waterways and obscure rivulets alike to fish out the historical figure as he acted and thought., In her impressive new biography, Janet L Nelson meticulously sifts all the available evidence [on Charlemagne]. At the start she notes (a little terrifyingly) that some 7,000 charters survive from his reign. You can believe she has looked at every single one, so thorough and expansive is this work of scholarship. . . .Nelson uses literary sources adroitly, supplementing more prosaic charter and annalistic evidence with moving poetry., Janet Nelson has succeeded in delivering 'a new life' of Charles. Her long-awaited biography invites us to understand the man in ways that are original and penetrating., " King and Emperor: A New Life of Charlemagne " takes on the compelling suspense of good detective work as well as good history. . . . Janet L. Nelson comes as close as one can to approaching this extraordinary man.", Helen Castor's endorsement-'a masterclass in the practice of history'-is as good a description of this brilliant new biography as we are likely to get, "Janet Nelson has succeeded in delivering "a new life" of Charles. Her long-awaited biography invites us to understand the man in ways that are original and penetrating.", Helen Castor's endorsement - 'a masterclass in the practice of history' - is as good a description of this brilliant new biography as we are likely to get, A deeply learned and humane portrait . . . Nelson's King and Emperor brings alive the age of Charlemagne, the ruler usually associated with the first effort after the fall of Rome to unite Europe under a single rule. This 'new life' is a bold book. . . . Each chapter is a masterclass in tracing specific bodies of evidence back to the persons or incidents from which they arose. . . . King and Emperor is a masterpiece of historical writing and a robust step toward filling the gap in our historical imagination left by the passing of Rome., There have been countless studies of Charlemagne in many languages . . . but few have been as ambitiously biographical as Nelson's. Historians of early medieval Europe are trained to interpret scattered clues and fragments, however, and Nelson is one of the very best., ""There have been countless studies of Charlemagne in many languages...but few have been as ambitiously biographical as Nelson's. Historians of early medieval Europe are trained to interpret scattered clues and fragments, however, and Nelson is one of the very best.", ...[Janet Nelson] assembles an astonishingly rich picture from the most unrewarding of texts. The way she puzzles out probable facts and motivations, based on a complete reading of the existing texts, is a joy to witness. She draws on and shows off the clever work of earlier historians, while giving short shrift to their more biased assumptions. The narrative voice emerges as that of a patient, inquisitive, incisive and helpful master detective, with funny asides, a beautiful style and sensible politics., An immense achievement- brilliantly learned and profoundly wise, it is as revelatory about the practice of history as it is about the great man himself., ...an immense achievement - brilliantly learned and profoundly wise, it is as revelatory about the practice of history as it is about the great man himself., Helen Castor's endorsement-'a masterclass in the practice of history'--is as good a description of this brilliant new biography as we are likely to get, King and Emperor: A New Life of Charlemagne takes on the compelling suspense of good detective work as well as good history. . . . Janet L. Nelson comes as close as one can to approaching this extraordinary man., King and Emperor takes on the compelling suspense of good detective work as well as good history. . . . Janet L. Nelson comes as close as one can to approaching this extraordinary man., An immense achievement--brilliantly learned and profoundly wise, it is as revelatory about the practice of history as it is about the great man himself., If Nelson expects a lot of her readers, it's because she has so much to offer. This is by any measure a superb book. Charlemagne . . . has finally found an equally great modern biographer., Nelson's Charlemagne is ultimately sympathetic: a hard but not unfeeling man, with a temper, a crude sense of humour and a remarkable strength of character. . . . She uncovers a man of action and response, not a visionary or ideologue., Nelson has produced a remarkable, learned text, unlike any other study of Charlemagne in recent years., If Nelson expects a lot of her readers, it's because she has so much to offer. This is by any measure a superb book. Charlemagne ... has finally found an equally great modern biographer., Janet Nelson assembles an astonishingly rich picture from the most unrewarding of texts. The way she puzzles out probable facts and motivations, based on a complete reading of the existing texts, is a joy to witness. She draws on and shows off the clever work of earlier historians, while giving short shrift to their more biased assumptions. The narrative voice emerges as that of a patient, inquisitive, incisive and helpful master detective, with funny asides, a beautiful style and sensible politics.

Dewey Edition23

Dewey Decimal944.0142092

Table Of ContentContents List of Illustrations List of Maps List of Genealogies 1 Introduction 2 Family Stories Charles Might Have Known 3 The Child in the Picture 4 Family Fortunes 5 Charles in Italy 6 Peace and War: 774-9 7 The Family Deployed, '. . . all Saxony subjugated' 8 Boundary- crossings 9 Franks, Bavarians and New Thinking: 787-9 10 The Regensburg Years 11 Saxons, Saracens, Northmen and the Council of Frankfurt: 792-4 12 The Beginning of the End of the Saxon Wars: 792-9 13 Interesting Times, Dangerous Times 14 Fin de siècle - début de siècle: Romanum gubernans imperium 15 The Aachen Years 16 'Charles, by the bounty of divine grace emperor and augustus . . . to his beloved and honourable brother Michael glorious emperor and augustus' By Way of Conclusion Notes on the Illustrations Notes Bibliography Acknowledgements Index

SynopsisNelson pens a major new biography of one of the most extraordinary of all rulers and the father of present-day Europe., " King and Emperor takes on the compelling suspense of good detective work as well as good history."-- The Wall Street Journal Charles I, often known as Charlemagne, is one of the most extraordinary figures ever to rule an empire. Driven by unremitting physical energy and intellectual curiosity, he was a man of many parts, a warlord and conqueror, a judge who promised "for each their law and justice," a defender of the Latin Church, a man of flesh and blood. In the twelve centuries since his death, warfare, accident, vermin, and the elements have destroyed much of the writing on his rule, but a remarkable amount has survived. Janet Nelson's wonderful new book brings together everything we know about Charles I, sifting through the available evidence, literary and material, to paint a vivid portrait of the man and his motives. Building on Nelson's own extraordinary knowledge, this biography is a sort of detective story, prying into and interpreting fascinating and often obdurate scraps of evidence, from prayer books to skeletons, gossip to artwork. Charles's legacy lies in his deeds and their continuing resonance, as he shaped counties, countries, and continents; founded and rebuilt towns and monasteries; and consciously set himself up not just as King of the Franks, but as the head of the renewed Roman Empire. His successors--even to the present day--have struggled to interpret, misinterpret, copy, or subvert his legacy. Janet Nelson gets us as close as we can hope to come to the real figure of Charles the man as he was understood in his own time.

LC Classification NumberDC73.N454 2019