Charlemagne’s Dream

A sweeping, definitive history of the dynamic, expansionist dynasty that forged the Middle Ages—and Europe—as we know it.

“Historical scholarship, and historical storytelling, at its finest.” —Matthew Gabriele, coauthor of The Bright Ages and Oathbreakers

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.

In Charlemagne’s Dream, historian James T. Palmer looks beyond Charlemagne alone to tell the full story of the rise and fall of the massively consequential Carolingian dynasty—the men and women who laid the foundations for his achievements, and the colorful heirs who squandered his legacy. Carolingian rulers established the royal court as a place of learning, attracting scholars and philosophers and driving a cultural and intellectual renaissance. They fought and traded with power centers as far-flung as Córdoba, Constantinople, and Baghdad. In allying with the pope, they forever changed the relationship between church and state in the West. And they dispatched the first missionaries to northern Europe, expanding Christendom’s reach farther than ever before.

Charlemagne’s Dream details the powerfully human stories of the Carolingians, showing how their pursuit of ever-greater power built one of the world’s great empires.

• “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
• “The early European Middle Ages are too often skipped past or caricatured, but Charlemagne’s Dream restores that period’s humanity to us. 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
• “Charlemagne’s Dream is 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. Always seemingly in a hurry, their glittering empire constantly teetered on the brink of ruin until it was brought down by a final round of family infighting in 888. For all their violence and flaws, 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 Thirty Years War
• “In a gripping narrative, James T. 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
• “James T. Palmer juggles the complex achievements and characters of the Carolingian family admirably. Charlemagne’s Dream injects a welcome dose of madness back into the story.”
  Jay Rubenstein, author of Armies of Heaven