A review by wyntrchylde
Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of AD 800 by Jeff Sypeck

informative fast-paced

3.5

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

Author: Jeff Sypeck

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REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Why this book:

Love history. Loved the myths surrounding Charlemange and the birth of “modern” Europe. And I guess I can’t call it a nonfiction kick anymore, I’m reading more nonfiction than fiction. Seeing way too many DNFs when I try to read fiction these days. Ah well, forwards.

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Favorite Quote:

The papal messengers describing Aachen, seat of Karl’s, soon to be Charlemange, power. “Although barely built, Karl’s capitol was almost civilized and unexpectedly alive: forceful, clearly Christian, slightly cruel. The messenger realized, on reflection, that it was just like Karl himself.”

Hmm Moments:

Never realized that the Carolingians and the Medicis had the power behind the throne, rise to power, seize power in a (bloodless/quiet) coup in common. The “mayors” of the castle…yeah…they aren’t Robespiere-ing/Cromwell-ing their way to the top, not at all.

Meh / PFFT Moments:

Many of the monkish anecdotes about Karl are obvious fabrications. Example being, by the time that Karl ruled from the North Sea to Marseilles, he would have been hard pressed to slip away and have dinner in a seaside town without any entourage and if pirates or Vikings appeared, the King would have been harried away by numerous hangers-on.  

Apropos of Nothing and Everything:

Spends pages and pages on Abbot Alcuin of Tours et al and the Empress Irene of Constantinople.

Book is more dedicated to its subtitle than the title character. 

Anachronism:

Effectively a reverse anachronism, though it has no doubt popped up in more than this and the obvious modern instance, Karl(Charlemagne) renaming things after he becomes Emperor of the (Holy) Roman Empire and the people, basically, ignoring it. “Rarer still was the Frank who dared tell Karl an obvious truth: regardless of how great an emperor was, the winds blew without permission—and they blew no matter what he decided to call them.” Sounds familiar, ay?

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Last Page Sound:

Loved it.

Things I’d Like to See:

What Ifs involving Charlemange. Something where Aachen becomes the new Rome that he wanted it to be or, even, the new Jerusalem that he dreamed of.