Presents first-hand insights into the life of Charlemagne.

Einhard's Life of Charlemagne is an absorbing chronicle of one of the most powerful and dynamic of all medieval rulers, written by a close friend and adviser. In elegant prose it describes Charlemagne's personal life, details his achievements in reviving learning and the arts, recounts his military successes and depicts one of the defining moments in European history: Charlemagne's coronation as emperor in Rome on Christmas Day 800AD. By contrast, Notker's account, written some decades after Charlemagne's death, is a collection of anecdotes rather than a presentation of historical facts.

Two revealingly different accounts of the life of the most important figure of the Roman Empire Charlemage ?known as the father of Europe?was one of the most powerful and dynamic of all medieval rulers. The biographies brought together here provide a rich and varied portrait of the king from two perspectives: that of Einhard, a close friend and adviser, and of Notker, a monastic scholar and musician writing fifty years after Charlemagne?s death.

The life of Charlemagne by Einhard. Charlemagne by Notker the stammerer.

This work contains two separate biographical accounts of Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, the man considered to be the father of Europe. One account was penned by the French, medieval biographer, Einhard, who in 791 joined the royal court to serve as an epic poet, grammarian, mathematician and architect, and ultimately a confidante to the King. Einhard's work is believed to be the most accurate portrayal of Charlemagne, and perhaps more importantly, as the finest biography of its time. This edition also contains the highly anecdotal "life" of Charlemagne, penned by the Monk of Saint Gall, who is now commonly believed to be Notker the Stammerer. This monk, a native-German speaker, wrote the volume at the request of Charles the Fat, great-grandson of Charlemagne. Although its accuracy has been scorned by historians, several of the monk's amusing and witty tales have been revived in modern biographies of this powerful monarch.

"To speak another language is to have another soul." Charlemagne (748-814) was the King of the Franks from 768, the King of the Lombards from 774, and the Emperor of the Romans from 800. He united the majorityof central and western Europe and was the first recognized emperor to rule fromwestern Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire centuries earlier. Einhard (775-840) and Notker the Stammerer (840-912) were early Frankish scholarswho both wrote works on Charlemagne's life such as: Vita Karoli Magni byEinhard and Gesta Karoli by Notker the Stammerer.

This splendid edition contains both ancient biographies of Charles the Great by Einhard and the Monk of St. Gall, edited, translated and introduced by Arthur James Grant. Charlemagne is often termed the father of modern Europe, in that he implemented the earliest foundations of Germany, France, Holland and Belgium. Demonstrating great talents in both war and peace, Charles the Great was able to unite much of Europe to an extent unseen since the time of the Roman Empire. Although Charlemagne only reigned for fourteen years, his actions while on the Frankish throne were of far-ranging consequence. His wars against the Saxons, his expedition into Muslim Spain, and his strengthening of relations with the Papacy of Rome helped solidify Christianity within the European continent. Although his reign was violent, it ushered in civilization to Europe via unification of its peoples.

The Life of Charlemagne is a contemporary account of the life of the great Holy Roman Emperor. It is written by Notker the Stammerer, also known as the Monk of St. Gall.