History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Several Orders of Knighthood in Europe [Paperback]

Elias Ashmole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 1942

Containing the antiquity of the town, castle chapel and college of Windsor; with their several officers: The foundation of the order by King Edward III. The statutes and annals at large, as they have been altered and amended. The habits, ensigns and officers of the order. The ceremonies of election, investiture and installment of Knights: The manner of their feasts; and the duties and fees payable on these occasions. Some account of the founders, with an exact list of all that have been installed since the institution, and their several coats of arms emblazoned. This is the most complete and profuse book on this Secret Order ever written. Ashmole was the mystery man of his day and was initiated into many secret societies. This is an extremely rare book and took us over 5 years to find!

Editorial Reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 582 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (May 31, 1942)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0766100588
• ISBN-13: 978-0766100589
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,730,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rare book (in original), October 30, 2005

By 

R S (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Several Orders of Knighthood in Europe (Paperback)

Saw an original on eBay. 1715 IS the original print of the book under this name unlike the other reviewer states. I got this from the biography of Elias Ashmole:

"Ashmole's principal work is his 'Institution, Laws, and Ceremonies of the Order of the Garter' (1672), one of those books which exhaust the subject of which they treat and leave scope only for supplements. The edition of 1693 is a mere reprint; but in 1715 a new edition was published under the title of 'The History of the Order of the Garter,' with a continuation by T. Walker." -- "Dictionary of National Biography" (1891)

Good read, and discusses many other secret societies/orders. If you can find the original, KEEP it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very satisfying read!, December 19, 2005

By 

An Avid Reader (Sausalito, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Several Orders of Knighthood in Europe (Paperback)

A scholarly account of the history of knighthood in Europe and the culture of knighthood is well laid out in this amazingly rare and impressive book. Glad to have found it!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful work of 17th century scholarship, October 31, 2002

By 

Dan Phoenix (Glendale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Several Orders of Knighthood in Europe (Paperback)

The market for this book is limited in the extreme, but to the right people it's a goldmine. Ashmole was one of the first modern historians, who applied considerable research and careful critical examination of evidence to draw conclusions. If you are interested in the history of the Garter, the British orders of knighthood, or early English historiography, this is a worthwhile book. It certainly should be on the shelf of any self-respecting research library, as it forms a marvelous primary source for a wide variety of research.

The publisher's description of this book is nonsense. The book was published in the 1660's, not 1715. While Ashmole was the first known English Freemason, and among the last of practicing alchemists, he was hardly a mystery-man. The Order of the Garter, while profoundly exclusive, isn't remotely secretive. A more recent survey of that great order may be found in Begent and Chesshyre's <i>The Most Noble Order of the Garter: 650 Years</i>. And if it took the publishers 5 years to find a copy, they weren't looking very hard.

I give three stars as a cop-out rating. After all, how do I properly rate a 340 year old reference book? It has research value. It has wonderful engraved illustrations, though I don't know how well the current publisher reproduces them. My copy is one of the crown jewels of my heraldry library.