In the Middle Ages nothing that happened was ever regarded as absolutely new; each development was seen as a renewal of a former state of things. By studying the concept of empire during that period, one can understand how it caused political structures to be formed which claimed to be a continuation of the Empire of Rome.

Freeman's book is a detailed study of the political, social, and cultural impacts of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century CE. It covers topics like migration, the spread of Christianity, and the rise of new political systems. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This book traces across the millennium of the Middle Ages the gradual crystallisation of a new and distinctive European identity. Koenigsberger covers the Islamic, Byzantine and central Asian worlds in his account which explains Europe's progression from chaos and collapse to the point where it was set to rule much of the world.