Becoming Charlemagne

“Magnificently chronicles four significant years in the emperor’s life . . . A splendid portrait [with] dazzling glimpses of Charlemagne’s life and times.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) On Christmas morning in the year 800, Pope Leo III placed the crown of imperial Rome on the brow of a Germanic king named Karl. With one gesture, the man later hailed as Charlemagne claimed his empire and forever shaped the destiny of Europe. Becoming Charlemagne tells the story of the international power