Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity

An excellent book on the Carolingian reign. McKitterick examines the evidence in excruciating detail to determine is the story that has been passed on about him based on fact or myth. By examining the primary sources contemporary to Charlemagne, rather than simply taking the word of Einhard, we get a much more complete picture. Itinerant kingship is examined, and she smashes the belief that all action in the Carolingian Empire happened solely based on the presence of the king in a place. Based on the distance that separated the locations, it becomes clear that far from relying entirely on the person of the king, Charlemagne established a bureaucracy that extended throughout his realm. Far from Aachen being the be all end all of the arts in his realm, it was one of many in the kingdom. On examination, it would seem obvious, especially given how many military campaigns he fought, but very little scholarship that I've read up to this point has challenged this view. It's also interestingly proven that he probably was able to read and write, contrary to previous scholarship.

The one piece that I didn't agree with was the section examining his piety, what was private and what was public. In modern times we're used to examining how much of a person's piety is genuine and how much is for show, especially from politicians. I think, however, that it's hard to overestimate piety in this age. Given how central Christian piety was to Charlemagne's rule, both from the point of view of how he standardized worship, and the forcefulness with which he converted the Saxons to Christianity.

Overall, one of the best pieces of current scholarship on Charlemagne.