The Life of Charlemagne (Ann Arbor Paperbacks)

Happy Reading!


An excellent book when approached correctly   August 4, 2001
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

With all respect to Robert Jarvis, I must say that his review is off. Charlemagne died in the year 814, and Einhard knew the great emperor personally. Einhard's biography was written in the decade following Charlemagne's death, so readers must be aware of the style and purposes ninth-century writers had when they approached their works. Einhard's work is brief indeed, as it omits details such as one will find in Roger Collins's fine work, _Charlemagne_ (U of Toronto Press, 1998), but giving the minutiae of the emperor's life was not Einhard's purpose. Instead, basing his work on that of the Roman Suetonius, who wrote lives of Roman emperors, Einhard tried to convey what kind of man and ruler Charlemagne was. We learn here what kind of father he was--that information is not found in any other primary source. We know that Charlemagne initiated a kingdom-wide reform of education, but only Einhard tells us that the king himself was familiar with Latin and struggled late in life to learn to write. Readers who want to find the "In this year, this happened..." type of 'facts' in writings from the period of Charlemagne's lifetime, I suggest tracking down P.D. King's _Charlemagne: Translated Sources_, which is a sampling of annals, letters, and legislation (among other sources) dating from the eighth and ninth centuries. When read properly, Einhard's _Life_ can teach us much. Be careful, though, because Einhard also wanted to portray Charlemagne in a good light; balance his testimony against what you find in King's _Translated Sources_.

Happy Reading!


Unsatisfactory history!   March 22, 2001
 8 out of 17 found this review helpful

When I purchased this book I failed to notice (or was not informed!) that it is scarcely 70 pages long &, through the use of a central type system, even these pages are only half full. It is a wooden, lack-lustre account providing a minimum of detail about Charlemagne's reign, conquests & family. It reads like a homework report! Einhard is a contemporary of the man so the account is at least probably believable. However, this is nothing more than an appetite-whetter & anyone with an interest in the subject should definitely be looking for something with a little more meat. This is just not good value!


An easy-reading biography of Charlemagne   April 5, 2000
 47 out of 48 found this review helpful

Contrary to popular belief, the "Dark Age," (AD 476-c.1200) was "dark" not because of the alleged backward nature of the time, but rather because of the lack of historical sources from the period. This biography, written by Einhard, who was a friend of the most famous monarch from the Dark Age, sheds some much-needed light into the political and military history of the period. Written soon after the death of Charlemagne in 814, Einhard tells us of his rise to power, his military campaigns, his dealings with the scheming Byzantines, his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor, and his unruly daughters. Throughout the narrative, Einhard strives to portray his King and friend in the best possible light. I highly recommend this book to any student of Medieval history, as well as to those who might have an interest in European monarchy. It is informative, easy-reading, and a great primary source for those who study the history of the period.