An Empire of Memory The Legend of Charlemagne, the Franks, and Jerusalem Before the First Crusade

Matthew Gabriele has made a powerful and convincing attempt to show that the evolution of Charlemagne myths can reveal a Frankish sense of manifest Christian destiny Times Literary Supplement As with all the best exercises in intellectual archaeology, Gabrieles book raises as many questions as it claims to answer. It is a monograph in the very best sense of the term, showing how a field that some might presume mined to exhaustion can still yield up a rich, albeit highly speculative seam of ore. Nicholas Vincent, History I really like this book and learned a lot from it... The argument and research are critical, thorough, and sound. Thomas F.X. Noble, The Medieval Review the depth of analysis on offer here and its relevance to debates about memory makes this a hugely welcome addition to a growing body of research. Christian Harding, Journal of Ecclesiastical History This efficiently argued and interesting book is an informed and thoughtful discussion of the ideas and associations that attached themselves to the memory of Charlemagne between the reign of his successor Louis the Pious and the First Crusade. Marcus Bull, Crusades