Charlemagne and France

"An ambitious, consistently thought-provoking book . . . its publication could hardly be more timely. Through this story, Morrissey, combining the skills of historian and literary critic, presents nothing less than the story of France." -Times Literary Supplement

"This learned, but eminently readable, book enlightens one of the most guarded secrets of the French political imagination." -Marc Fumaroli, College de France

"Here, in a book originally published (in French) in 1997, Robert Morrissey writes the history, not of Charlemagne himself, but rather of how the emperor was conceived and reimagined from the ninth century to the nineteenth, especially in France. This is a rich and wide-ranging book, with much to ponder. The translation is clear and readable." -Speculum

"Morrissey's book is more than rich and imaginative literary history, which represents its main genre. It is an interdisciplinary, meta- mythistorical effort that more than does justice to an extraordinary theme central to European culture, in peace, war, nationalist enthusiasm, and imperial expansion, over twelve centuries." -Journal of Modern History

"...a stunning new edition.... ...this is a book that can enlighten all scholars about the origins and course of French nationalism." -European History Quarterly

"... erudite and enthralling.... The book is a powerful reminder of the importance of Charlemagne in French conceptions of themselves and their history until 1870...." -Choice

"Charlemagne and France is a solid book that can be of use to anyone interested in European, particularly French, history. ... Robert Morrissey has written a remarkably accessible work...." -History: Reviews of New Books

"... this book will be an indispensable reference for scholars attempting to understand any literary or historical reference to Charlemagne...." -H-France

"This full and rewarding study deserves widespread attention from students of French and European history of all periods." -International History Review

"In a rich and provocative study that shows his mastery of medieval and modern historiography and literature, Robert Morrissey traces the complex and contradictory place of the eighth-century Frankish king and emperor in French ideology and imagination from the ninth century to the nineteenth...." -American Historical Review