Charlemagne's prodigious range of activities during the first 30 years of his reign was a prelude to what some contemporaries and many later observers viewed as the culminating event of his reign: his coronation as Roman emperor.

Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, was the founder of the Carolingian Empire and was best known for uniting Western Europe for the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire. He is, most certainly, still politically relevant today.

The King of the Franks has often been referred to as the "father of Europe," and in France and Germany, he is celebrated as an iconic figure. The royal families of Europe claimed descendance from him until the 20th century, and the Empire he created in central Europe lasted until 1806.

Contents of the book:

Part I: The Cauldron of Europe

1: The Kingdom of the Franks

2: The House of the Arnulfing

3: The Keys of St Peter

Part II: The Road to Rome

4: The Making of a King

5: The Golden City

6: The King in His Kingdom

Part III: Imperium

7: The General

8: The Sowing of the Seed

9: Consolidation

10: The Emperor

11: Aachen, The Rome of the North