I have recently read Marios Costambeys' "The Carolingian World" and enjoyed it thoroughly, and right now I am finishing Joachim Whaley's "Germany And The Holy Roman Empire" and, while it is a difficult read, I find it very informative
Between those two books however, I am missing a big part of how East Francia as it was after the Treaty of Verdun at the end of the Carolingian Dynasty eventually became the amalgam of states that is the Reich that Maximilian I reigned over.
"The Caroligian World" ends its narrative around the year 900 and "Germany and The Holy Roman Empire" picks up around 1400, leaving out the entire high middle age
Are there any good academic books I could read that cover this period?
Thanks in advance
"Peasant Fires: The Drummer of Niklashausen" is an excellent overview of the rebellion of Hans Bohm. It perfectly illustrates the transition of the Medieval to the Early Modern. Richard Wunderli gives voice to the peasants and the culture of the non-elite, and how this force would eventually come to play in the Reformation. It is short and to the point, at under 200 pages. So while it is not the most academic text, it is still a substantial work of scholarship. While one could make the argument that Wunderli is being somewhat teleological in his approach, I think it's because he's trying to show the medieval origins of the Early Modern. It's quite cheap on amazon.
For a general overview on the HRE, Peter Wilson's recent book "Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire" is a good reference work as well. I cannot say I've read the book cover-to-cover, but I do look at different chapters fairly often if I feel like I need a quick refresher on a topic. He begins the book in around 800, during the reign of Charlemagne and traces the history of the HRE until its ultimate demise in 1806. A bit more pricey, since it's a new book, but most libraries should have it.
Hope that helps!
"The Holy Roman Empire" by Peter H. Wilson seems to be well-liked on this sub. It's academic and hundreds upon hundreds of pages (I think it's 750+ pages with pictures in the middle of the book). I have it but haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but all reviews I've seen are positive.