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

I am a 10 year old kid and I really like history. My ancestors are from Germany, and I thought I might be related to Charlemagne. So I wanted to find out more about him. This book could not be counted as a biography. A lot of it is about Charlemagne's empire, but some of it is about other medieval empires such as the Byzantine Empire. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about Europe and Asia Minor in the 700s and 800s.

I've read many books on the Medieval period and Charlemagne in the last two years. This is now one of my favorites. Jeff Sypeck put the events of the period in a context which allows the reader to understand the various political forces competing against one another during that era, and the skill used by King Charles which ultimately led to him being referred to as King Charles the Great or Charlemagne. I had read mentions of Empress Irene of the Byzantine Empire before, but her villainy and treachery never really impressed me until reading Sypeck's version. This time it took on the magnitude worthy of Shakespearean tragedies. The lives of Jews during the time of Charlemagne is a topic I had not seen mentioned at any length in the other various books I read, and Sypeck devoted a chapter to discussing how their treatment which by and large are hidden in the historical record. Charlemagne did not persecute Jews as he did those in his realm who worshiped pagan idols. Many Jews were educated, well-traveled, merchants, and officials in the royal courts. One Jew was sent by Charlemagne as an ambassador to Baghdad to speak with the leader of the Muslim empire, Harun al-Rashid. It is the various acts of political gifts from one leader to another (Harun to Charlemagne) which were then perceived as a political slight by other leaders (Empress Irene) that I found most fascinating. And then there is the dramatic saga of Pope Leo III and his attempted assassination that underscores the dramatic story of Charlemagne's coronation as Emperor. This isn't dry history with a simple recitation of facts, it is a story of intrigue brought to life. You know that Shakespeare had to base his stories on something.

Jeff Sypeck's book integrates histories that are too often treated as distinct. He writes with the imagery of a novel but hues to the objectives of non-fiction. The book is both lively and informative.

Probably like most readers, the only thing I remember from my history lessons is that Charlemagne became the Holy Roman Emperor, that's it. This book opens the door on the how and why. In addition, it focuses on the man not the legend, giving a more realistic view of who he was and what he did, and more importantly did not, do).