During the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire emerged as a loosely integrated union of German states and city-states under the supreme rule of an emperor, and would endure until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. Despite its vast influence, though, it is poorly understood today. Here Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger provides a concise history of the empire, presenting an interpretation of its unique culture and remarkably durable institutions. In a narrative spanning three turbulent centuries, Stollberg-Rilinger shows how it was a political body unlike any other, bound together by personal loyalty, tradition, and solemn rituals.