Throughout the ages, many rulers were known for their great reign. One of these great men of the 8th century was Charlemagne. The Life of Charlemagne was written by Einhard, a Frankish elite who had the privilege of working at Charlemagne's court. The book was not published until after Charlemagne's death but it traces his life thematically. Einhard defines the book by first addressing actions, habits, then administration. This writing was one of the first of its kind. Although there are many biographies written about the lives of saints, known as hagiographies, this one is the first of its kind to be written about a secular ruler since ancient times. I will start by talking about Charlemagne's accession to power, then his character and personality, and finally his relationship with his family. Charlemagne's rise to power was initially a hereditary right, but he used it as a springboard to become the most well-known king of all time. The story really begins with Charles' father, Pépin. The post of mayor of the palace was given to Pépin and his brother Carloman, who worked together in “splendid harmony”. (137) But after a few years, Carloman decided to join the monks and lead a monastic life, leaving only Pepin as mayor of the palace. Then Pope Zechariah decided that the mayor of the palace, Pepin, deserved to be king because of his influence among his people. While he was king, he made war against Waifar, Duke of Aquitaine, and this lasted for nine years, until Pepin's death. This left the kingdom divided equally between Charles and Carloman. Charles took over his father's kingdom, while Carloman took his uncle's kingdom. There was a lot of paper in the middle...for her. "He treated her with the greatest respect, to the point that there were never any problems between them, except over the divorce of the daughter of King Desiderius, whom he had married at her request." (142) There was not only respect for his mother, but also care for his children. “He always took his meals with them and when he traveled he always took them with him, his sons riding alongside him.” (142) Interestingly, all of his children received a high education, including his daughters. He paid them a lot of attention and even taught them the art of ruling a kingdom. We can learn a lot from the personal experience of those close to the king. Through Einhard's writings, we see Charlemagne's life not only as a king, but also as a friend, son, and father. Without such biographies, generations of great triumphs would have been lost in the battle of life..