T. F. Tout’s The Empire and the Papacy, 918-1273 surveys one of the central dramas of medieval European history: the long contest between the Holy Roman emperors and the popes. Tout follows the Saxon and Salian emperors, the Investiture Controversy, the rise of the Hohenstaufen, and the titanic clashes between figures such as Frederick Barbarossa, Frederick II, and the papacy.
Part of a respected historical series, the work charts the shifting balance of power between sacred and secular authority across three and a half centuries. Tout combines political detail with broad interpretation, making a complex story intelligible. Readers interested in medieval Germany, Italy, the papacy, or church-state conflict will find it indispensable. This free EPUB edition revives an authoritative survey of the medieval empire and papacy at the height of their rivalry.