The age of Charlemagne was a crucible for change in the history of Europe, bridging the divide between the medieval and the classical worlds and setting the political and cultural tone for centuries to come. This book focuses directly on the reign of Charlemagne, bringing together a wide range of approaches and sources from fifteen of the top scholars of early medieval Europe. The contributors have taken a number of original aproaches to the subject, from the fields of archaeology and numismatics to deftly-written essays on key historical texts. The essays are embedded in the scholarship of recent decades but also offer insights into new areas and new approaches for research.