The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages 400-1000

The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages 400-1000 by Chris Wickham
In Chris Wickham's The Inheritance of Rome, he explains how the standard narrative has twisted our view of the world between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance. Civilisation did not end with Rome only to reappear a thousand years later. Instead it continued on in many ways through the "dark" ages.

A unique and enlightening look at Europe's so-called Dark Ages

Defying the conventional Dark Ages view of European history between A.D. 400 and 1000, award-winning historian Chris Wickham presents The Inheritance of Rome, a work of remarkable scope and rigorous yet accessible scholarship. Drawing on a wealth of new material and featuring a thoughtful synthesis of historical and archaeological approaches, Wickham agues that these centuries were critical in the formulation of European identity. From Ireland to Constantinople, the Baltic to the Mediterranean, the narrative constructs a vivid portrait of the vast and varied world of Goths, Franks, Vandals, Arabs, Saxons, and Vikings. Groundbreaking and full of fascinating revelations, The Inheritance of Rome offers a fresh understanding of the crucible in which Europe would ultimately be created.