The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 05: (from Charlemagne to Frederick Barbarossa)

This volume traces the tumultuous centuries that forged medieval Europe, from the fracturing of Charlemagne's empire around 814 to the reign of Frederick Barbarossa in the 1190s. Here you'll find the dramatic story of how Europe transformed: the devastating raids by Vikings, Saracens, and Magyars that shattered the old Carolingian order; the rise of local lords and the birth of feudalism as a desperate response to chaos; the emergence of the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy as competing powers. The compilation draws on 'famous historians' of the late 19th century, giving readers access to how turn-of-the-20th-century scholars narrated and interpreted these foundational events. The prose carries a Victorian confidence about historical narrative that modern readers may find either charming or dated. For anyone curious about where modern Europe came from, this anthology offers a window into both the events themselves and the historical profession's earlier, more narrative-driven era.