A very thorough and in depth study of the Holy Roman Empire. It can be somewhat difficult to follow the authors train of thought at times as he will jump around in the timeline, sometimes seemingly at random. He also will use the names of various European monarchs without specifying which one he is talking about, which can lead to confusion as the monarchs of the times tended to share names. ( )

The Holy Roman Empire survived for over 1,000 years--and its institutions, ideas, and political divisions haunt Europe still. Starting with Charlemagne's coronation on Christmas day 800, and ending with the illegal suspension of the Empire by Francis II in 1806, this ambitious and comprehensive history examines the status of the Emperor, meaning of kingship and leadership, the Empire's structure, internal conflicts, and shifting centers of power, and ever-present ideal of a united Europe.

4445. The Holy Roman Empire, by Friedrich Heer translated by Janet Sondheimer (read 5 Jun 2008) This book was published in German in 1967 and in English in 1968. It does a good job telling of the time from Charlemagne to 1806, when the Holy Roman Empire came to an end. I did not however find the book held my interest very well, even though I really liked the book I read by Heer on Sep 30, 1991: The Medieval World Europe 1100-1350. But there are interesting things in the book and I blame myself for not being more diligent in appreciating it. ( )