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Considering the enormous big subject both in space and time he does a very good job of it. So many peoples, kingdoms and cultures that interacted in this era and all have their time. Very well struvtured book. Avoids being bogged down in one of the many sideissues that exist.
I'm right there with you. My memories have become shimmery.Finally finished my reread of The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. I enjoyed it, it took me so long because I kept putting it aside for other things. I had the ending all wrong in my mind, the last couple hundred pages were absolutely nothing like I remembered.
Went on and zipped through Lasher, the 2nd book in the Mayfair Witches trilogy. Which was also a reread but also like a new book. Did not remember this one at all.
In between I read Code to Zero by Ken Follett. Pretty good, I just prefer his historical fiction books over his thrillers.
Next is Taltos, the 3rd Mayfair Witches book. I'm sure I won't remember this one either. It is a little disturbing, the way I had the ending to book 1 completely wrong in my mind and did not remember bk 2 at all.
It is like I made up completely different stories in my mind. What the heck.
Charlemagne!View attachment 33711
Considering the enormous big subject both in space and time he does a very good job of it. So many peoples, kingdoms and cultures that interacted in this era and all have their time. Very well struvtured book. Avoids being bogged down in one of the many sideissues that exist.
He was there of course as one of the Carolingians of Francia or france but also the Ostrogoths of Italy, the Visigoths of Spain, The merovingians of France, The anglosaxons of Britain, The Muslim Umayyad dynasty of Spain, The byzantine empire, The Vandals of North Africa, The Burgundians and the Avars, The Lombardic kingdom of Italy and the important influences of the Persian Sassanid empire, the Arab conquests and the Huns advances into europe. A holy mess of people, kingdoms and cultures with ever fluctuating borders between eachother. To be able to create order in the mess that was europe at that time is really well done.Charlemagne!
He was the Emperor and the head of The Church, quite an achievement. Few have done as much as Charlemagne in history, the only figure who comes near is Alexander the Great.He was there of course as one of the Carolingians of Francia or france but also the Ostrogoths of Italy, the Visigoths of Spain, The merovingians of France, The anglosaxons of Britain, The Muslim Umayyad dynasty of Spain, The byzantine empire, The Vandals of North Africa, The Burgundians and the Avars, The Lombardic kingdom of Italy and the important influences of the Persian Sassanid empire, the Arab conquests and the Huns advances into europe. A holy mess of people, kingdoms and cultures with ever fluctuating borders between eachother. To be able to create order in the mess that was europe at that time is really well done.
Hi, hi!!Just finished reading "The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper," and "NOS4A2."
"The Five" was good. "NOS4A2" melted my fricking face off.
I just started reading "Ninth House," by Leigh Bardugo. I'm only on the first page, but it seems promising.
Yes, his career was quite an achievement. But he was never head of the church. The pope was the head. He got the title of emperor and all the glory and honor that went with it, an important political tool, in exchange for spreading the word and defending the church borders.A very nice deal for him but at the time Rome really needed a strong warriors arm. Just like Alexander he was an excellent commander and just like Alexander he didn't have much of a longterm plan for the succession. Just like Alexanders Generals split up his empire in several parts and started to quarrel and fight eachother so did Charlemagnes sons split up his territory and start to fight eachother. If not then we might not have had the division between Germany and France that resulted. The title of emperor could not be divided so it went to the son that ruled what would in the course of time be germany and was soon called the Holy Roman Empire. That many emperors there saw themselfes as head of the church with the right to decide over the pope was a view that no pope ever shared, at least while the seat was in Rome. The Avignon Popes was another matter, they were seated on french soil,were of french origin and followed the hints of the french Kings. Charlemagne was a flash in history, a bright one, but since he didn't plan for the future much of his influence is not as great as it could have been. He made the same mistake other kings has done before him in splitting his kingdom in eqaul parts among his sons in the vain hope that they could coexist without quarrel. He was wrong.He was the Emperor and the head of The Church, quite an achievement. Few have done as much as Charlemagne in history, the only figure who comes near is Alexander the Great.
View attachment 33161....outstanding collection!......I had already read some of the stories, but others are just knockin' the hat right off my imagination's noggin.....
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