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Secondary sourceBook1898

The Age of Charlemagne

Charles L. Wells · 1898

An 1898 scholarly history by Charles L. Wells covering the church, religion and the Frankish realm during Charlemagne's era.

A late 19th-century scholarly history examining Charlemagne's era, his reign, and his relationship with the church.

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The Age of CharlemagnePDF · 512 pages
Charles L. Wells, The Age of Charlemagne, 1898 (scanned edition, Internet Archive).

About this source

What it is

This is a history book written in 1898 by Charles L. Wells, a professor of history, examining the age of Charlemagne. It covers the church, the state, Christianity, learning and the broader Frankish world, drawing on earlier sources to build a scholarly account.

Why it matters

Written over a thousand years after Charlemagne's death, this book shows how later historians interpreted his reign and its importance for the development of Christianity and government in medieval Europe. It is a secondary source, useful for understanding how scholars have studied and explained Charlemagne's impact rather than for his own words.

Look closer

  • Why might a historian in 1898 be especially interested in Charlemagne's relationship with the church?
  • How is this book different from a source written during Charlemagne's own lifetime?
  • What topics does the book emphasize, and what might that tell us about the author's interests?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Charlemagne on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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