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Title: Mohammed and Charlemagne by Henri Pirenne ISBN: 0-486-42011-6 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 28 August, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Fascinating Yet Flimsy
Comment: Henri Pirenne, who revolutionized the study of medieval beginnings, presents a thorough explanation of his intriguing thesis in this final historical volume. His point is well taken, that the Moslem invasions of the 7th and 8th centuries were just as crucial, if not more so, to the dawn of the Middle Ages as were the Germanic invasions of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th. However, as far-sighted as this idea may be, there is a near obsessiveness with proving his point that tends to make Pirenne's work seem less than well-founded. Several wide sweeping generalizations are made, such as the observation that the Germanic invaders contributed nothing of worth to their new surroundings, but rather came for the social paradise that was the Roman Empire. Also, he seems to contradict his own conclusions from time to time, as in his assertion that Charlemagne both sought and did not seek a Mediterranean Empire during his reign. As a whole, though, the book is a fascinating read.
For those who do not have any knowledge of Latin or French, the book makes a difficult read, as many of his sources are quoted in their original language, and beginning historians may have trouble with the veritable barrage of unfamiliar names and concepts. However, two works which may make this problem a little less severe are William Bark's "Origins of the Medieval World," and "The Pirenne Thesis," edited by Alfred Havighurst.
Rating: 3
Summary: Groundbreaking When It Was Published...Just For Scholars Now
Comment: 1st: This is an old book and needs to be treated as such. When Pirenne wrote this book there was no archeology, arch. has changed the way people think about the transition, and most of what P says can be discounted by looking at arch. 2nd: Havighurst's book, despite its title, which makes it sound really helpful, is out of date and not worth looking at. 3rd: You don't actually need to read thisbook to get the argument. Read David Whitehouse's "Moh, Charl and Origins.." and that tells you what P says quite quickly. That's the only book you need. However, it was published in 1983, and newer sources (see McCormick) should be considered for any scholarly undertaking. This is an ever growing field, and new archeological evidence appears every year.
Rating: 4
Summary: Masterpiece!
Comment: Mohammed and Charlemagne is the last work of Henri Pirenne. It was published after his death and represents a masterpiece of historical scholarship. This is a seminal work that challenged the thesis that Germanic barbarians obliterated the Roman Empire. His revolutionary thesis was that the unexpected rise and advance of Islam led to the downfall of the Empire. With the rise of Islam, the Mediterranean was no longer a thoroughfare of commerce and ideas. Without the Mediterranean, commerce dried up to a trickle and Europe slipped into the Middle Ages.
The revision and completion of the book was completed by one of Pirenne's students after his death. That leads to one of my criticisms. Previous works by Pirenne I found engaging and masterfully written. This work however, seemed to lack the same literary style and, as a consequence, I found it to be a choppy read that lacked the clear crispness of his previous works. While this statement is subjective, it is not irrelevant. When Pirenne expounds on economic and sociological issues of the Middle Ages his words literally leap off the page. It is disappointing that this subject does not surface until the end of the book.
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Title: Economic and Social History of Medieval Europe by Henri Pirenne, I. E. Clegg ISBN: 0156275333 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: June, 1956 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Medieval Cities by Henri Pirenne ISBN: 0691007608 Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr Pub. Date: 01 April, 1969 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Uses of Literacy in Early Medieval Europe by Rosamond McKitterick ISBN: 0521428963 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 23 April, 1992 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Mohammed, Charlemagne and the Origins of Europe by Richard Hodges, David Whitehouse ISBN: 0801492629 Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr Pub. Date: October, 1983 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Origins of the European Economy : Communications and Commerce AD 300-900 by Michael McCormick ISBN: 0521661021 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 17 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $60.00 |
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