Seven Medieval Kings

Dahmus, a prolific writer on things to do with the Middle Ages, first published this tome in 1968, and it was so successful that it spawned a 1972 sequel, "Seven Medieval Queens." The "Kings" in issue are: (1) Justinian the Law-Giver, last Roman Emperor to assert dominion in the West; (2) Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor, conqueror of Western Europe and patron of the arts; (3) Amin Rasheed, Arab caliph; (4) Emperor Frederick II, Wonder of the World; (5) Saint Louis IX of France; (6) Henry II of England; and (7) Louis XI, the last medieval king of France. Some of these mens' exploits would fill an entire book, and, indeed, biographies of Justinian, Frederick II, Henry II, and Louis XI are currently in print. But others, such as Rasheed and Saint Louis IX, are comparatively neglected, and still others, such as Charlemagne, deserve better treatment than they are presently getting. So Dahmus, a talented and erudite author, not only writes a nifty little series of essays, he also fills "gaps" for the modern reader. A great work to have on the shelf. The "Queens" sequel isn't bad either.