This study investigates the place of the royal court and the operation of patronage in several European kingdoms in the early Middle Ages. It seeks to identify

Despite intermittent turbulence and destruction, much of the Roman West came under barbarian control in an orderly fashion. Goths, Burgundians, and other aliens

This collection of twelve essays examines the fall of the Roman Empire in the West from the barbarian perspective and experience.

The author marshals an abundance of archaeological and literary evidence, as well as three decades of study and experience, to present a wide-ranging account of

“A great book that summarizes pieces of Roman military history that are often not mentioned or difficult to find sources for . . . an entertaining read.”—