2010 Reading #37: Becoming Charlemagne
Books 1-10.
Books 11-20.
Books 21-30.
31. Blonde Faith by Walter Mosley.
32. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.
33. Justice League of America, Volume 2 by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, et al.
34. Killer Princesses by Gail Simone and Lea Hernandez.
35. Michael Chabon Presents: The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, Volume 1 by Michael Chabon, Kevin McCarthy, Glen David Gold, Howard Chaykin, Bill Sienkewicz, etc.
36. Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn by Robert Holdstock.
37. Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800 by Jeff Sypeck. A while back I tweeted about wanting a book comparing the reigns of Charlemagne (I like to refer to him as Charlie-Man) and Harun al-Rashid; this is about the closest I was able to find. It's entertaining enough, and I'd be thrilled to see the period it covers turned into an HBO series à la Rome, but I do wish it were a little meatier and focused. Doubtless this is, at least in part, a function of the lack of good sources. My favorite bits, unsurprisingly, center around the delegation of Lantfrid, Sigimund, and Isaac from Aachen to Baghdad; only Isaac survived the journey, and he returned with the gift of Abul Abaz*, an Asian elephant given by Harun to Charlemagne (during his lifetime, everybody just called him Karl). There's also an attempt to assassinate a pope and the blinding of the Byzantine emperor by his mother. History, man; if it wasn't happening a thousand years ago, you'd be protesting it.
* According to Sypeck, the name means variously "father of the Abbasids," "elephant of the Abbasids," or "father of wrinkles."
Books 11-20.
Books 21-30.
31. Blonde Faith by Walter Mosley.
32. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.
33. Justice League of America, Volume 2 by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, et al.
34. Killer Princesses by Gail Simone and Lea Hernandez.
35. Michael Chabon Presents: The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, Volume 1 by Michael Chabon, Kevin McCarthy, Glen David Gold, Howard Chaykin, Bill Sienkewicz, etc.
36. Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn by Robert Holdstock.
37. Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800 by Jeff Sypeck. A while back I tweeted about wanting a book comparing the reigns of Charlemagne (I like to refer to him as Charlie-Man) and Harun al-Rashid; this is about the closest I was able to find. It's entertaining enough, and I'd be thrilled to see the period it covers turned into an HBO series à la Rome, but I do wish it were a little meatier and focused. Doubtless this is, at least in part, a function of the lack of good sources. My favorite bits, unsurprisingly, center around the delegation of Lantfrid, Sigimund, and Isaac from Aachen to Baghdad; only Isaac survived the journey, and he returned with the gift of Abul Abaz*, an Asian elephant given by Harun to Charlemagne (during his lifetime, everybody just called him Karl). There's also an attempt to assassinate a pope and the blinding of the Byzantine emperor by his mother. History, man; if it wasn't happening a thousand years ago, you'd be protesting it.
* According to Sypeck, the name means variously "father of the Abbasids," "elephant of the Abbasids," or "father of wrinkles."