Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800
    Unavailable
    Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800
    Unavailable
    Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800
    Ebook338 pages5 hours

    Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800

    By Jeff Sypeck

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead

    About this ebook

    On Christmas morning in the year 800, Pope Leo III placed the crown of imperial Rome on the brow of a Germanic king named Karl. With one gesture, the man later hailed as Charlemagne claimed his empire and forever shaped the destiny of Europe. Becoming Charlemagne tells the story of the international power struggle that led to this world-changing event.

    Illuminating an era that has long been overshadowed by legend, this far-ranging book shows how the Frankish king and his wise counselors built an empire not only through warfare but also by careful diplomacy. With consummate political skill, Charlemagne partnered with a scandal-ridden pope, fended off a ruthless Byzantine empress, nurtured Jewish communities in his empire, and fostered ties with a famous Islamic caliph. For 1,200 years, the deeds of Charlemagne captured the imagination of his descendants, inspiring kings and crusaders, the conquests of Napoléon and Hitler, and the optimistic architects of the European Union.

    In this engaging narrative, Jeff Sypeck crafts a vivid portrait of Karl, the ruler who became a legend, while transporting readers far beyond Europe to the glittering palaces of Constantinople and the streets of medieval Baghdad. Evoking a long-ago world of kings, caliphs, merchants, and monks, Becoming Charlemagne brings alive an age of empire building that continues to resonate today.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061834189

    Related to Becoming Charlemagne

    Related ebooks

    European History For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      TIMELINE Mary’s Turbulent Life

      Mar 19, 2020

      TIMELINE Mary’s Turbulent Life
      1 min read

    • Article

      Surviving 1806

      Feb 28, 2020

      Surviving 1806
      5 min read

    • Article

      Charlemagne

      Feb 28, 2020

      Charlemagne
      7 min read

    • Article

      Charlemagne A New Kind Of King

      Dec 29, 2022

      Charlemagne A New Kind Of King
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Death Of Chivalry

      Nov 26, 2020

      The Death Of Chivalry
      10 min read

    • Article

      Michael Wood On… Why Mythology Prevails Over Reality

      Mar 17, 2022

      I took the train to Oxford the other day, to walk some old haunts. Down an alley just by the station, are the scant ruins of Osney Abbey. Founded in 1129, it was demolished after the Reformation and plundered for building materials. All that remains

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Man Who Sacked Rome

      Jun 9, 2020

      The Man Who Sacked Rome
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Young Pretender

      Mar 6, 2020

      The Young Pretender
      5 min read

    • Article

      A King Of Fire And Light

      Dec 28, 2021

      A King Of Fire And Light
      10 min read

    • Article

      Queen Elizabeth I

      Aug 2, 2023

      Queen Elizabeth I
      6 min read

    • Article

      Hero Of The Highlands

      Aug 14, 2020

      Hero Of The Highlands
      4 min read

    • Article

      Culture Chronicle

      Jul 4, 2021

      Culture Chronicle
      7 min read

    • Article

      'Black Tudors' Reveals a Surprising and Overlooked Chapter of History

      Nov 16, 2017

      Hidden in British archives and parish records are the identities of dozens of black people who lived in England during Tudor times.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Heralds

      Nov 11, 2023

      The earliest mentions of heralds present a picture far removed from the elegant and formal officers of arms that may be familiar. Instead, they appear on the sidelines of the tournament circuit, alongside the troubadours, acrobats, and other entertai

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Lost City: Homage to Aleppo

      Sep 30, 2017

      The Lost City: Homage to Aleppo
      11 min read

    • Article

      Napoleon A Life In Objects

      Apr 15, 2021

      Napoleon’s school compass (below) is a reminder of the rudimentary beginnings of his career. Made from wood, copper and leather, it was his introduction to strategy, used in map drawing and fortification classes. Napoleon, who was born on 15 August 1

      8 min read

    • Article

      You’re Descended from Royalty and So Is Everybody Else

      Jan 4, 2018

      Charlemagne, Carolingian King of the Franks, Holy Roman Emperor, the great European conciliator; your ancestor. I am making an assumption that you are broadly of European descent, which is not statistically unreasonable but certainly not definitive.

      11 min read

    • Article

      Galla Placidia The Last Roman

      Nov 2, 2023

      Galla Placidia The Last Roman
      7 min read

    • Article

      Gods And Monsters

      Feb 28, 2024

      Gods And Monsters
      14 min read

    • Article

      The Northumbrians

      Jan 6, 2023

      The Northumbrians
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Making Of A Monarch

      Nov 24, 2022

      The Making Of A Monarch
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Colour Of Chivalry

      Mar 2, 2023

      In the heart of central Germany, there is an intriguing symbol along the streets of the quaint medieval town of Coburg. It is a representation of a dark-skinned African man who is a celebrated patron. Thousands of miles away, in the Metropolitan Muse

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Great Unravelling

      Dec 28, 2022

      The Great Unravelling
      3 min read

    • Article

      An Appetite For Power

      Apr 13, 2023

      An Appetite For Power
      6 min read

    Reviews for Becoming Charlemagne

    3.5/5

    39 ratings4 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This short history is more a summary of Charlemagne's life and an outline of the state of Europe, Byzantium and the Muslim world around the year 800 AD than it is an exploration of the process by which Karl, king of the Franks, became the legendary Charlemagne. It is, however, a great read, with interesting details and stories that made the people and places in the book seem very real.
    • 1/5
      A massmarket history which is written in horribly overblown and overdramatised prose, to bulk out a shortage of data. The subject should be fascinating and I wanted to read this but found it unreadable. Though a drinking game might be made out of the plethora of adjectives. So far the merchants have been..(cackling) the jews (wistful) the romans (haughty) the princesses (amorous; these are Charlemagne's daughters, the hussies) and the franks (brutish) I would like some nouns to be with adjectives left off.
    • 2/5
      This book describes in very cursory fashion the rise of Charlemagne. Although the author tried very hard to couch this story in an exciting, non-academic, way, his efforts failed for me. The story is set against the background of Catholic Rome, Byzantine Constantinople and Abbasid Baghdad, but these tantalizing settings wind up as backdrops rather than critical parts of the tale.
    • 3/5
      Describes the rise of Charlemagne, his relations with the Abbasid Empire based in Baghdad and the Byzantine in Constantinople. Written in non-academic style, more as historical novel stylistically, at a quite general level. Some interesting points but more analysis would have made it more interesting. It's a quick read though.