Charlemagne's Dream
The Rise and Fall of the Carolingian Empire
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Charlemagne's Dream
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Narrated by:
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By:
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James Palmer
Summary
Today, the Carolingians are best known as the dynasty of Charlemagne. In a few remarkable decades spanning the late eighth and early ninth centuries, Charlemagne united much of modern-day Europe through conquest and diplomacy, establishing the continent's first empire since the fall of Rome.
Charlemagne's Dream depicts the entire sweeping arc of the Carolingian dynasty - the men and women who laid the foundations for his achievements, and the colourful heirs who squandered his legacy. They fought and traded with power centres as far-flung as Córdoba, Constantinople, and Baghdad. They gathered scholars and philosophers to drive a cultural and intellectual renaissance. They allied with the pope, forever changing the relationship between church and state. And they dispatched the first missionaries to northern Europe, expanding Christendom's reach farther than ever imagined.
These are the stories of the family that forged Europe, showing how their pursuit of ever-greater power built - but also undermined - one of the world's great empires.©2026 James Palmer
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Critic reviews
Charlemagne dreamed of much - of restoring the Roman empire, of creating a new Christian society, and of renewing scholarship, the arts, and the law. He warred and plundered and piled onto his head the crowns of the Franks and Lombards as well as the sacred diadem of the Roman empire. But in a vision, Charlemagne foresaw that his legacy would be wasted by his enemies and heirs, which it was. The story of Charlemagne and the Carolingians is one of hubris and nemesis, of fortune's wheel, and of the wages of ambition. James T. Palmer tells it with authority, energy, and zest (Martyn Rady, author of THE HABSBURGS)
In a gripping narrative, Palmer elucidates the highs and lows of the Carolingian dynasty, whose rulers oversaw one of the most formative periods in European history. In doing so, he has produced a tour de force that will appeal to scholars and general readers alike (David Woodman, author of THE FIRST KING OF ENGLAND)
A gripping account of the Carolingians' bid to build a new golden age in Western and Central Europe by reviving the mighty legacy of ancient Rome . . . they profoundly shaped ideals of Western kingship, religion, and social life, and their most prominent member, Charlemagne, remains entrenched in popular perceptions as the "Father of Europe" (Peter H. Wilson, author of THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE)
The Franks, through the ruling Carolingian dynasty (including the legendary Charlemagne), come fully to life in these pages. James T. Palmer weaves together a story filled with vivid colors - solemnity and humor, barbarity and grace. This is historical scholarship, and historical storytelling, at its finest (Matthew Gabriele, coauthor of THE BRIGHT AGES and OATHBREAKERS)
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