Hammer, an independent scholar with a doctorate from the University of Toronto, has returned to the primary sources in this excellent study of Bavaria in the time of the Merovingian and Carolingian rulers. He traces the lives of the dukes Tassilo and Odilo, often seen only as opponents to the Carolingians. In this work, Hammer dispels assumptions made by earlier scholars, now accepted as fact. He makes his own assumptions but gives clear references to the information from which he drew them, stating when the conclusion is conjecture. As a bonus, the writing style flows easily making this a pleasure to read. Distributed in North America by the David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)