'Weiler has...written a highly original and very readable book, one which is as important for the questions it asks as for the precise answers given to them. For that reason alone it has a significance beyond the period in which it is set. In terms of engaging with Weiler's ideas and the detailed evidence on which they are based, some ... Read morereaders will doubtless find themselves handicapped by being unable to match his command of the German background and its sources; in itself a reason why the book is so valuable.' - D.A. Carpenter, English Historical Review 'Tremendously useful for anyone interested in thinking about how historians have conceptualized the political structures of the medieval period.' - Jonathan R. Lyon, German History 'Björn Weiler continues to lead the way in comparative studies of medieval European politics, especially in the area of the role of practical symbolism in monarchical government...a thoroughly absorbing and stimulating book full of important insights and scholarly discussion.' - Sean McGlynn, History Show Less