LAUSR

and permeated by a divide in thinking between historians resident in Eastern Europe and those in Germany and the West. The third section of the collection is the most arcane: three essays, by Bastian Schlüter, Joep Leerssen, and Bernhard Junsen, each explore elements of the Carolingian and Holy Roman legacy, from the use of Staufer imagery in museum and ceremonial contexts to the ideological basis of the imagery generated through the restoration of medieval buildings in the nineteenth century, and the contrasting illustrated depictions of Charlemagne in school textbooks in France and Germany. Each of these articles relies on close interpretation of material evidence: the intersection of imagery and architecture, the use of wood engravings, or the collectible picture cards presented with chocolates. Some of the arguments boil down to observations on whether Charlemagne is portrayed with a moustache (in German depictions) or a beard (in French). While not explicitly addressed in the essays, analysing and interpreting imagery, architecture, and space are specialized fields of history. The third section therefore calls to mind the difficulties involved in the production of historical analysis. The fourth section on ‘Land and Frontiers’ again explores nationalism from a perspective of creating and making places across European history, with a particular focus on the differences that emerge between Slavic and Germanic notions of the past. The final section considers the inevitable gulf between modern and medieval in our conceptions of religious life, and raises—but does not answer—the question of whether any recent history of the era can truly approach the period on its own terms. Overall, the collection sets up much promise in its introduction, aiming ultimately to explore ‘the unsettled relationship between the Middle Ages and our present’ (p. 10). By examining the changes in historiography and in technique, The Making of Medieval History acts as a primer for further discussions about the role, place, and limitations of medieval history, and should be required reading for undergraduates. It raises more questions than it answers: which is probably the hallmark of any good collection. david JaMes GriffitHs, Canberra, ACT