Charlemagne is probably the most well-known ruler of the Middle Ages: the most important offspring of the Carolingians, as a "constructor of Europe", he coined the times in the long-term and fascinated subsequent generations. This new biography of Charlemagne contains a breadth of information on his life through a compact and clear structure: his achievements as a conqueror, as the administrator of his empire, and as a judge, a controller of the church, defender of Christianity, and a friend of scholars and supporter of science. This leads to a life account and history of the time of Charlemagne that is definitely worth reading.

Professor Dr. Wilfried Hartmann taught the history of the Middle Ages at the University of Tübingen.