King and emperor: a new life of Charlemagne

Introduction

Family stories Charles might have known

The child in the family

Family fortunes

Charles in Italy

Peace and war: 774-9

The family deployed, '...all Saxony subjugated'

Boundary-crossings

Franks, Bavarians, and new thinking: 787-9

The Regensburg years

Saxons, Saracens, Northmen and the Council of Frankfurt: 792-4

The beginning of the end of the Saxon Wars: 792-9

Interesting times, dangerous times

Fin de siècle : debut de siècle: Romanum gubernans imperium

The Aachen years

'Charles, by the bounty of divine grace emperor and augustus...to his beloved and honourable brother Michael glorious emperor and augustus'

By way of conclusion.