The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000

Chris Wickham

Penguin Books, 2010 - History - 650 pages

"The breath of reading is astounding, the knowledge displayed is awe-inspiring and the attention quietly given to critical theory and the postmodern questioning of evidence is both careful and sincere."--The Daily Telegraph (UK)

"A superlative work of historical scholarship."--Literary Review (UK)

A unique and enlightening look at Europe's so-called Dark Ages; the second volume in the Penguin History of Europe

Defying the conventional Dark Ages view of European history between A.D. 400 and 1000, award-winning historian Chris Wickham presents The Inheritance of Rome, 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 agues that these centuries were critical in the formulation of European identity. From Ireland to Constantinople, the Baltic to the Mediterranean, the narrative constructs a vivid portrait of the vast and varied world of Goths, Franks, Vandals, Arabs, Saxons, and Vikings. Groundbreaking and full of fascinating revelations, The Inheritance of Rome offers a fresh understanding of the crucible in which Europe would ultimately be created.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - le.vert.galant - LibraryThing

The reviews I read of this book were not promising; however, I found it to be readable, interesting, and as comprehensive a survey of this vast stretch of time as could be hoped for. The author's ...

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - stillatim - LibraryThing

Just to be clear: Chris Wickham does not believe that he can explain anything. He repeats this over and over, so you'll not get the wrong idea. Let's be very, very clear: nothing in history is ...

About the author

Chris Wickham is Chichele Professor of Medieval History at the University of Oxford and a fellow of All Souls College. His book Framing the Middle Ages won the Wolfson Prize, the Deutscher Memorial Prize, and the James Henry Breasted Prize of the American Historical Association. He lives in Oxford, England.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000; Volume 2 of Penguin history of Europe
• Author: Chris Wickham
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Penguin Books, 2010
• ISBN: 0143117424, 9780143117421
• Length: 650 pages
• Subjects: History / Ancient / Rome; History / Civilization; History / Europe / General; History / Europe / Medieval