An absorbing biography of the great leader
who was the bridge between ancient and modern Europe — the first
major study in more than twenty-five years.
Charlemagne was an extraordinary figure: an
ingenious military strategist, a wise but ruthless leader, a
cunning politician, and a devout believer who ensured the survival
of Christianity in the West. He also believed himself above the
rules of the church, siring bastards across Europe, and coldly
ordering the execution of 4,500 prisoners. Derek Wilson shows how
this complicated, fascinating man married the military might of his
army to the spiritual force of the Church in Rome, thereby forging
Western Christendom. This is a remarkable portrait of Charlemagne
and of the intricate political, religious, and cultural world he
dominated.