Herwig Wolfram is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History and Director of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research at the University of Vienna. Of his many influential works, two have previously appeared in English: History of the Goths (1987) and The Roman Empire and Its Germanic Peoples (1997).
"From the German edition: Text on Dust Jacket FlapsConrad II
(1024-1039) was the founder of the Salian dynasty, which would hold
the reins of power in Germany for almost a century. His reign
marked the triumph of the concept of "kingdom" and the zenith of
what has been termed "German imperial grandeur." He brought
Burgundy under the imperial banner, thus becoming the first emperor
to rule over three kingdoms. At the same time, Conrad broadened the
internal bases of imperial power and brought the full weight of his
office to bear upon popes, clerics, and abbots in the pursuit of
his ecclesiastical policies. His astounding ability to achieve his
political goals was practically unparalleled among the emperors of
the High Middle Ages. In this biography of Conrad II the
internationally renowned medievalist Herwig Wolfram probes the
reasons behind the first Salian's success. The author conceives of
Conrad as a politician in almost the modern sense of the word,
capable of exploiting the political, social, and economic
structures of his day in order to exert his authority and
marginalize his opponents. The result is an intimate portrait
filled with fresh insights about Conrad and his consort Gisela,
who--as Wolfram demonstrates--played a very influential advisory
role with her husband. The author's masterful command of the
sources and the storyteller's craft make Conrad II a compelling
history of an emperor and his magnificent epoch.Herwig Wolfram (b.
1934) is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History and Director of the
Institute for Austrian Historical Research at the University of
Vienna. Of his many influential works, two have previously appeared
in English, History of the Goths and The Roman Empire and its
Germanic Peoples.Text on Back of Dust JacketConrad II (990-1039)
was the first emperor to rule the three kingdoms of Germany, Italy,
and Burgundy in the High Middle Ages. Even though he appears to
have come out of nowhere, it took astoundingly little time for the
first Salian to overcome all opposition. The cathedral at Speyer,
where he and his descendants are buried, remains to this day a
living memorial to his reign. In this biography of Conrad II Herwig
Wolfram paints a fascinating portrait of a consummate politician
set against the background of a Europe entering a new
millennium."--German Edition, Copy
"In this reviewer's opinion, a scholarly biography of a medieval
king should not only reveal the chief attributes of the ruler
himself, but also the attributes of the milieu in which he lived
and worked. A biography of a king should also be a biography of a
kingdom. It is to Wolfram's credit that his biography of Conrad II,
the first emperor of the Salian line, has largely attained this
goal. Both the emperor and his empire are revealed in all their
complexity, in a portrait that is at once accessible and grounded
in current scholarship."--David A.Warner, Canadian Journal of
History
"Penn State Press has performed an important service in making a
work as significant for its general approach as its reassessment of
the first Salian emperor available to an English-speaking
audience."--Chris Jones, Parergon
"What Wolfram's biography ably demonstrates is how a new man with
international vision could effectively govern an unruly empire of
different races: German, Frisians, Slavs, Italians, and Burgundian
French, while maintaining effective alliances with England,
Denmark, France, and the papacy."--Benjamin Arnold, International
History Review
From the German edition: Text on Dust Jacket FlapsConrad II
(1024-1039) was the founder of the Salian dynasty, which would hold
the reins of power in Germany for almost a century. His reign
marked the triumph of the concept of kingdom and the zenith of what
has been termed German imperial grandeur. He brought Burgundy under
the imperial banner, thus becoming the first emperor to rule over
three kingdoms. At the same time, Conrad broadened the internal
bases of imperial power and brought the full weight of his office
to bear upon popes, clerics, and abbots in the pursuit of his
ecclesiastical policies. His astounding ability to achieve his
political goals was practically unparalleled among the emperors of
the High Middle Ages. In this biography of Conrad II the
internationally renowned medievalist Herwig Wolfram probes the
reasons behind the first Salian s success. The author conceives of
Conrad as a politician in almost the modern sense of the word,
capable of exploiting the political, social, and economic
structures of his day in order to exert his authority and
marginalize his opponents. The result is an intimate portrait
filled with fresh insights about Conrad and his consort Gisela, who
as Wolfram demonstrates played a very influential advisory role
with her husband. The author s masterful command of the sources and
the storyteller s craft make Conrad II a compelling history of an
emperor and his magnificent epoch.Herwig Wolfram (b. 1934) is
Professor Emeritus of Medieval History and Director of the
Institute for Austrian Historical Research at the University of
Vienna. Of his many influential works, two have previously appeared
in English, History of the Goths and The Roman Empire and its
Germanic Peoples.Text on Back of Dust JacketConrad II (990-1039)
was the first emperor to rule the three kingdoms of Germany, Italy,
and Burgundy in the High Middle Ages. Even though he appears to
have come out of nowhere, it took astoundingly little time for the
first Salian to overcome all opposition. The cathedral at Speyer,
where he and his descendants are buried, remains to this day a
living memorial to his reign. In this biography of Conrad II Herwig
Wolfram paints a fascinating portrait of a consummate politician
set against the background of a Europe entering a new millennium.
German Edition, Copy"
In this reviewer s opinion, a scholarly biography of a medieval
king should not only reveal the chief attributes of the ruler
himself, but also the attributes of the milieu in which he lived
and worked. A biography of a king should also be a biography of a
kingdom. It is to Wolfram s credit that his biography of Conrad II,
the first emperor of the Salian line, has largely attained this
goal. Both the emperor and his empire are revealed in all their
complexity, in a portrait that is at once accessible and grounded
in current scholarship. David A.Warner, Canadian Journal of
History"
Penn State Press has performed an important service in making a
work as significant for its general approach as its reassessment of
the first Salian emperor available to an English-speaking audience.
Chris Jones, Parergon"
What Wolfram s biography ably demonstrates is how a new man with
international vision could effectively govern an unruly empire of
different races: German, Frisians, Slavs, Italians, and Burgundian
French, while maintaining effective alliances with England,
Denmark, France, and the papacy. Benjamin Arnold, International
History Review"
From the German edition: Text on Dust Jacket Flaps Conrad II
(1024-1039) was the founder of the Salian dynasty, which would hold
the reins of power in Germany for almost a century. His reign
marked the triumph of the concept of kingdom and the zenith of what
has been termed German imperial grandeur. He brought Burgundy under
the imperial banner, thus becoming the first emperor to rule over
three kingdoms. At the same time, Conrad broadened the internal
bases of imperial power and brought the full weight of his office
to bear upon popes, clerics, and abbots in the pursuit of his
ecclesiastical policies. His astounding ability to achieve his
political goals was practically unparalleled among the emperors of
the High Middle Ages. In this biography of Conrad II the
internationally renowned medievalist Herwig Wolfram probes the
reasons behind the first Salian s success. The author conceives of
Conrad as a politician in almost the modern sense of the word,
capable of exploiting the political, social, and economic
structures of his day in order to exert his authority and
marginalize his opponents. The result is an intimate portrait
filled with fresh insights about Conrad and his consort Gisela, who
as Wolfram demonstrates played a very influential advisory role
with her husband. The author s masterful command of the sources and
the storyteller s craft make Conrad II a compelling history of an
emperor and his magnificent epoch. Herwig Wolfram (b. 1934) is
Professor Emeritus of Medieval History and Director of the
Institute for Austrian Historical Research at the University of
Vienna. Of his many influential works, two have previously appeared
in English, History of the Goths and The Roman Empire and its
Germanic Peoples. Text on Back of Dust Jacket Conrad II (990-1039)
was the first emperor to rule the three kingdoms of Germany, Italy,
and Burgundy in the High Middle Ages. Even though he appears to
have come out of nowhere, it took astoundingly little time for the
first Salian to overcome all opposition. The cathedral at Speyer,
where he and his descendants are buried, remains to this day a
living memorial to his reign. In this biography of Conrad II Herwig
Wolfram paints a fascinating portrait of a consummate politician
set against the background of a Europe entering a new millennium.
German Edition, Copy"
In this reviewer s opinion, a scholarly biography of a medieval
king should not only reveal the chief attributes of the ruler
himself, but also the attributes of the milieu in which he lived
and worked. A biography of a king should also be a biography of a
kingdom. It is to Wolfram s credit that his biography of Conrad II,
the first emperor of the Salian line, has largely attained this
goal. Both the emperor and his empire are revealed in all their
complexity, in a portrait that is at once accessible and grounded
in current scholarship. David A.Warner, Canadian Journal of
History"
Penn State Press has performed an important service in making a
work as significant for its general approach as its reassessment of
the first Salian emperor available to an English-speaking audience.
Chris Jones, Parergon"
What Wolfram s biography ably demonstrates is how a new man with
international vision could effectively govern an unruly empire of
different races: German, Frisians, Slavs, Italians, and Burgundian
French, while maintaining effective alliances with England,
Denmark, France, and the papacy. Benjamin Arnold, International
History Review"
"From the German edition: Text on Dust Jacket Flaps Conrad II
(1024-1039) was the founder of the Salian dynasty, which would hold
the reins of power in Germany for almost a century. His reign
marked the triumph of the concept of "kingdom" and the zenith of
what has been termed "German imperial grandeur." He brought
Burgundy under the imperial banner, thus becoming the first emperor
to rule over three kingdoms. At the same time, Conrad broadened the
internal bases of imperial power and brought the full weight of his
office to bear upon popes, clerics, and abbots in the pursuit of
his ecclesiastical policies. His astounding ability to achieve his
political goals was practically unparalleled among the emperors of
the High Middle Ages. In this biography of Conrad II the
internationally renowned medievalist Herwig Wolfram probes the
reasons behind the first Salian's success. The author conceives of
Conrad as a politician in almost the modern sense of the word,
capable of exploiting the political, social, and economic
structures of his day in order to exert his authority and
marginalize his opponents. The result is an intimate portrait
filled with fresh insights about Conrad and his consort Gisela,
who--as Wolfram demonstrates--played a very influential advisory
role with her husband. The author's masterful command of the
sources and the storyteller's craft make Conrad II a compelling
history of an emperor and his magnificent epoch. Herwig Wolfram (b.
1934) is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History and Director of the
Institute for Austrian Historical Research at the University of
Vienna. Of his many influential works, two have previously appeared
in English, History of the Goths and The Roman Empire and its
Germanic Peoples. Text on Back of Dust Jacket Conrad II (990-1039)
was the first emperor to rule the three kingdoms of Germany, Italy,
and Burgundy in the High Middle Ages. Even though he appears to
have come out of nowhere, it took astoundingly little time for the
first Salian to overcome all opposition. The cathedral at Speyer,
where he and his descendants are buried, remains to this day a
living memorial to his reign. In this biography of Conrad II Herwig
Wolfram paints a fascinating portrait of a consummate politician
set against the background of a Europe entering a new
millennium."--German Edition, Copy
"In this reviewer's opinion, a scholarly biography of a medieval
king should not only reveal the chief attributes of the ruler
himself, but also the attributes of the milieu in which he lived
and worked. A biography of a king should also be a biography of a
kingdom. It is to Wolfram's credit that his biography of Conrad II,
the first emperor of the Salian line, has largely attained this
goal. Both the emperor and his empire are revealed in all their
complexity, in a portrait that is at once accessible and grounded
in current scholarship."--David A.Warner, Canadian Journal of
History
"Penn State Press has performed an important service in making a
work as significant for its general approach as its reassessment of
the first Salian emperor available to an English-speaking
audience."--Chris Jones, Parergon
"What Wolfram's biography ably demonstrates is how a new man with
international vision could effectively govern an unruly empire of
different races: German, Frisians, Slavs, Italians, and Burgundian
French, while maintaining effective alliances with England,
Denmark, France, and the papacy."--Benjamin Arnold, International
History Review
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