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This episode of Ten Minute History (like a documentary, only shorter) covers the turmoil in the Frankish Kingdom which led to the rise of Charles Martel who famously defeated the invading forces of the Umayyad Caliphate at the Battle of Tours. His reign and that of his son, Pippin III, who appointed himself as king are briefly covered before the reign of Charlemagne is examined in detail. Charlemagne is without a doubt one of the most famous European monarchs and the Renaissance of Learning, his conquests and famously, his being crowned as Roman Emperor by Leo III are only a few of his achievements. His reign lasted for 47 years and after his grandsons divided the empire, the remnants became the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire.

Ten Minute History is a series of short, ten minute animated narrative documentaries that are designed as revision refreshers or simple introductions to a topic. Please note that these are not meant to be comprehensive and there's a lot of stuff I couldn't fit into the episodes that I would have liked to. Thank you for watching, though, it's always appreciated.

Recommended books:

Chris Wickham - The Inheritance of Rome: A History of Europe from 400 to 1000. - Seriously one of the best works on the period known as the Dark Ages, it covers everything from the collapse of the Western Roman Emperor to the nomads in Eastern Europe in an easily consumable format. An amazing book.

Rosamond Mckitterick - Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity. - This one is by my old lecturer and so I'd advise it for undergrads or enthusiasts only. It is probably the best book on Charlemagne's reign available and is up to date on the new findings surrounding things like where he conquered and his personal education. Few maps though, so boo there.