The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000 (Penguin History of Europe #2)
Chris Wickham
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars
3.94
· 16 ratings · 688 pages · Published: 29 Jan 2009
An ambitious and enlightening look at why the so-called Dark Ages were anything but that.
Prizewinning historian Chris Wickham defies the conventional view of the Dark Ages in European history with a work of remarkable scope and rigorous yet accessible scholarship. Drawing on a wealth of new material and featuring a thoughtful synthesis of historical and archaeological approaches, Wickham argues that these centuries were critical in the formulation of European identity. Far from being a middle period between more significant epochs, this age has much to tell us in its own right about the progress of culture and the development of political thought.
Sweeping in its breadth, Wickham's incisive history focuses on a world still profoundly shaped by Rome, which encompassed the remarkable Byzantine, Carolingian, and Ottonian empires, and peoples ranging from Goths, Franks, and Vandals to Arabs, Anglo- Saxons, and Vikings. Digging deep into each culture, Wickham constructs a vivid portrait of a vast and varied world stretching from Ireland to Constantinople, the Baltic to the Mediterranean. The Inheritance of Rome brilliantly presents a fresh understanding of the crucible in which Europe would ultimately be created.
Prizewinning historian Chris Wickham defies the conventional view of the Dark Ages in European history with a work of remarkable scope and rigorous yet accessible scholarship. Drawing on a wealth of new material and featuring a thoughtful synthesis of historical and archaeological approaches, Wickham argues that these centuries were critical in the formulation of European identity. Far from being a middle period between more significant epochs, this age has much to tell us in its own right about the progress of culture and the development of political thought.
Sweeping in its breadth, Wickham's incisive history focuses on a world still profoundly shaped by Rome, which encompassed the remarkable Byzantine, Carolingian, and Ottonian empires, and peoples ranging from Goths, Franks, and Vandals to Arabs, Anglo- Saxons, and Vikings. Digging deep into each culture, Wickham constructs a vivid portrait of a vast and varied world stretching from Ireland to Constantinople, the Baltic to the Mediterranean. The Inheritance of Rome brilliantly presents a fresh understanding of the crucible in which Europe would ultimately be created.
Tagged as:
- europe 3
- british isles 3
- medieval 3
- roman empire 2
- ancient civilization 2
- historical 2
- political 1
- classics 1
- religion 1
- Add topics
- format - reader age
- non-fiction 3
- audiobook 2
romance tags
crime tags
literary-fiction tags
historical-fiction tags
fantasy tags
sci-fi tags
action-adventure tags
thriller tags
horror tags
Collections/Custom tags
The 'Penguin History of Europe' series
4.06 · 80 ratings- The Birth of Classical Europe: A History from Troy to Augustine by Chris Wickham Book #1
- The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000 by Chris Wickham Book #2
- The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648-1815 by Chris Wickham Book #6
- The Pursuit of Power: Europe 1815-1914 by Chris Wickham Book #7
- To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914-1949 by Chris Wickham Book #8
- Roller-Coaster: Europe, 1950-2017 by Chris Wickham Book #9