The Templars: The Dramatic History of the Knights Templar, the Most Powerful Military Order of the Crusades

Boy, do I disagree with the nay-sayers about this book. I loved it. Couldn't put it down. Let me just say, the average joe reads at the 6th grade level. Those who didn't like this book probably read at the 4th grade level. This book is a condensed history of around 1400 years. Very condensed! In order to fully understand the rise and fall of the Templars, one must understand their reason for being. To fully understand we start at the beginning. We learn who all the "players" are. Who was a pawn. Who was a king. Who was a nasty little manipulator. While other reviewers are complaining that there aren't enough Templars in this book, I am appreciating knowing who raised them up and who took them down as well as what was going on in surrounding territories that led to duplicity against them. Excellent!! I very much enjoyed that the writer did not go into fanciful dreamworks as so many contemporary "Templar writers" have. He also didn't do any demonizing. He was very diplomatic. No demonizing of either Christian or Muslim. He took facts and figures from both sides. FINALLY! (insert sigh of relief)

Finally; instead of all the hype, pseudo-science, outlandish claims, and fanatical views both pro- and con- by an assortment of authors, each of whom seems to have some sort personal agenda; we have an honest, intelligent, balanced, well-written account of this interesting historical event. The author also wrote "Alive, The Story of the Andes Survivors" which was also well-written, balanced, objective and empathetic to the unfortunate individuals involved.

I've read this book twice, once while traveling the Holy Land and just again. I learned much in each instance and I recommend this book to anyone interested in a basic history of the Templars. The are surely other histories on the subject that are valuable, and for me it has provided both a great deal of knowledge and a desire to learn more of the Order.

This is a first class, thoroughly researched, brilliantly written text, and a serious, objective history of the Knights Templar and the era of the crusades.I recommend this book to anyone with a serious commitment to learning about the Templars or an interest in this period of history. The Templars is profoundly intellectual, and rich in facts and detail which make this a challenging read. The book is often very heavy-going, but the reader's perseverance is rewarded with a high-standard of information and high-quality written English.Much of the mystery and intrigue of the Knights Templar is beyond the scope of such a serious book, but when considering any of these topics the reader is sure to benefit from the abundance of textbook-level information provided in The Templars.It is worth spending the time and effort to better understand this important and interesting chapter of human history that has exerted a major influence on the development of contemporary civilisation. The repercussions of these events reverberate strongly in world events to this day - perhaps more deeply than most people appreciate...

I have added this book to my personal library because it gives the history of the Knights Templar with clarity and precision. Reviewers who found it odd that the Templars weren't even mentioned until around page 90 overlooked the fact that it's difficult to just yank a story out of history without first giving some background. If you're looking for a more esoteric history that ties the Templars to things like the Shroud of Turin or the Holy Grail, you won't find it here. And, even though I enjoy reading those types of books, I still highly recommend this one. It's a no frills historical account.