Derek Wilson - Charlemagne: The Great Adventure

The most remarkable of medieval monarchs, Charles the Great(742814) towers over every notion we have of national heroesand semi-mythical champions. His military conquests exceededthose of Julius Caesar. He had the sagacity and dedication topublic service of a Marcus Aurelius. In ruthlessness he wasreminiscent of Augustus. His life and achievements form anenthralling narrative. But that is only the beginning. Charlemagnewas a phenomenon and phenomena do not die. Later Europeanleaders from Frederick Barbarossa and Charles V to Louis XIV,Napoleon I and Hitler took Charlemagne as their model.His growing mythology inspired the Crusades, fed the concept ofchivalry, bolstered absolutist regimes, excited nineteenth-centuryliberals and emerges today among those who claim Charlesthe Great as the founder of European unity. Charlemagne isone of the most remarkable figures in European history: onlyby understanding him in all his complexity can we begin tounderstand Europe today.

Derek Wilson is well known through his books, radio and TV appearances, frequent journalistic features and festival appearances as one of the UKs leading narrative historians. Among his critically-acclaimed and bestselling books are Hans Holbein: Portrait of an Unknown Man; Sweet Robin: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester; Rothschild: A Story of Wealth and Power; The King and the Gentleman: Charles Stuart and Oliver Cromwell, 1599-1649; In the Lions Court: Power, Ambition and Sudden Death in the Reign of Henry VIII and All the Kings Women: Love, Sex and Politics in the Life of Charles II.

. Gothic Reliquary Bust of Charlemagne, IH163923. Corbis Inc.

. Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours, CS006426. Corbis Inc.

. Scenes from the lives of the Emperors: Coronation of Charlemagne. Paris, Bibliothque de lArsenal 1990 Photo Scala, Florence.

. King Charlemagne Receiving an Oath of Fidelity from the Chroniques de St Denis Manuscript, AABR004570. Corbis Inc.

. Emperor Charlemagne (747814) and his Army fighting the Saracens in Spain, 778 from the Story of Ogier (vellum) by Verard, Antoine (14501519), RVI101789 #175 Private Collection, Roger-Viollet, Paris. French, out of copyright.

. Document signed by Emperor Charlemagne (742814) with his monogram (vellum), ARH175033 #203 Centre Historique des Archives Nationales, Paris, France Archives Charmet, copyright unknown.

. Gold Solidus of Empress Irene. British Museum.

. ALG172666 #203 Charlemagne (742814) Placing the Relics of Christ in the Chapel of Aix-la-Chapelle (oil on canvas) by Orley, Bernard van (c.14881541) Galleria Sabauda, Turin, Italy Alinari Netherlandish, out of copyright.

13th Century Venetian Manuscript Page Depicting Charlemagne, His Daughter, and Roland the Paladin, GT003903. Corbis Inc.

. Aachen, palatine chapel, interior view, B 4.877/12. Reproduced by permission of Bildarchiv Foto Marburg.

. Shrine of Charlemagne [detail], CS005690. Corbis Inc.

. Manuscript Illumination of Constellations and a Centaur From an Astronomical Tract, IH163906. Corbis Inc..

. King Charles II (823877) Receiving a Bible from Count Vivian and the Monks of Saint-Martin de Tours, c.843-by French School, (9th century), BNP159994 #177 Ms Lat 1 fol.423r Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, France. Giraudon. French, out of copyright.

. The Coronation of Louis I, Holy Roman Emperor from , CS010448. Corbis Inc.

. Portrait of Emperor Lothaire, ADD.37768 f4. Reproduced by permission of the British Library.

. Two Men Dancing, ADD.11695 f86. Reproduced by permission of the British Library.

. Rider on a White Horse, ROY. 19.B.XV f37. Reproduced by permission of the British Library.

. A Joust, ADD.12228 f214v-f215. Reproduced by permission of the British Library.

. Vivian and Others Take Oath, ROY.20.D.XI f134V. Reproduced by permission of the British Library.

. Scenes from the Life of Charlemagne (747814) from the ambulatory, c.121525 (stained glass) (see also 182939) by French School, (13th century), XIR182938 #150 Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France. Giraudon. French, out of copyright.

. The Emperor Charles V (150058) on Horseback in Muhlberg, 1548 (oil on canvas) by Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) (c.14881576), XJL23261 #203 Prado, Madrid, Spain, Italian, out of copyright.

. Stage on the Large Pond representing the Isle of Alcine, third day of Les Plaisirs de lIle Enchante, 9th May 1664 (engravi by Silvestre, Israel, the Younger ( 1621 91), XIR154788 # Muse de la Ville de Paris, Musee Carnavalet, Paris, France. French, out of copyright.

. Napoleon at Charlemagnes Throne 98 by Henri Paul Motte, AALQ001558. Corbis Inc.

. Francois Guizot (17871874) after a painting by Paul Delaroche (17971856) c. 1878 (oil on canvas) by Vibert, Jean or Jehan Georges (18401902) XIR158228 #235 Chateau de Versailles, France. Lauros / Giraudon. French, out of copyright.

Note: Charlemagnes numerous female partners cannot be divided simply into wives and concubines. Frankish custom was far less rigid. This enabled the king to choose whom he would elevate to the position of official queen, thus legitimating their joint offspring.