In tackling one of the most fascinating characters of the Middle Ages Abulafia has, with characteristic shrewdness, noted a gap in the market. A balanced, detailed and professional biography of Frederick II has long been overdue.What a pity, then, that this book is neither balanced, nor detailed... Abulafia appears blind to the wider significance of the events he describes and appears determined, despite all evidence to the contrary, to shoehorn Frederick into the role of a Mediterranean prince...
It is regrettable that it is only the political events of Frederick's reign that are examined. Pieces of evidence that support Abulafia's thesis are presented devoid of context and the overall effect is of someone more interested in churning out a quasi-historical novel rather than a piece of serious research.
Sadly at present this book is the only modern biography available of Frederick. Rather than suffering this litany of antiquarianism, though, the interested student of medieval European history would do better to find discussions of Frederick's life in the works of his contemporaries. It wouldn't take much effort to write a better book than this one.
