Customer Reviews

The Knights Templar: The History and Myths of the Legendary Military Order

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is an excellent, sober and balanced primer on what has been the subject of hysterical writing in the last few years, especially since the release of The Da Vinci Code.

Sean Martin has written a very well structured book. It's divided into four main sections: the origins, activities, and fall of the Templars, as well as an additional section on the current mythology surrounding The Order.

It lays out the whole history of The Order, from Hughes de Payen's offer to the King of Jerusalem, to Bernard of Clairvaux's lobbying to the Council of Clermont, the first crusade and then on to the eventual downfall of the Templars with Jacques de Molay's execution in 1314. I won't enumerate all the details because if you're reading this review, you are probably a Templar buff, in which case you know all this. For those looking for an introduction to this subject, this is THE book to get.

Sean Martin has an elegant, simple writing style, making the book a very easy read (which is bad news, because you finish it too quickly).

Too many history books are written in too scholarly a tone, resulting in a very tedious read-you only need to check some of the weightier volumes on the Crusades. The writing style of this book makes you feel part of the events unfolding page by page. Occasional dry humor that comes out in the writing adds to the enjoyment.

A bonus is that the storyline of the Templars in this book is weaved faultlessly with that of the Crusades, so that it also de facto becomes a primer on the latter. Not too many books on the Templars do this well-Gordon Napier's "The Rise and Fall of the Knights Templar" is one of a few that comes to mind.

Some maps, a chronology of Templar history, the list of Grand Masters (for you conspiracy theorists, this list ends with Jacques de Molay and not someone living today) and the list of formal charges against The Order rounds out what is a great little book.

This book is smaller than most works on this subject, but in my opinion, it is one of the best and if you are interested in the Templars or the Crusades, this is one book you should definitely have in your library. Buy the Pocket Essentials hardcover if you can spend the extra dough, this is one of those books that deserves such a binding.

in veritate victorias

I bought this book to learn more about the knights templar, which is kind of the new craze these days. And let it be said : I did learn more about the templars.
The book is very simple, and the build-up is very sensible. At certain points a deeper introduction to some of the things would have been appropriate. But I guess you can't expect that at this price and with the writers background.

Basically this book does what it is meant to do, but should be seen as an introduction to the subject. If you wan't to dig deeper, you need to read other books.
My favorite thing is the ancient maps on the inside of the cover, which shows europe(and the middle east) at the time of the templars. Great addition!

This little book offers a wealth of information on the history of the Templars. It surprised me by its compact size and plethora of information. Martin tells an interesting well-sourced (with end notes) story in four chapters (145 pages).

Martin's maps, chronology, and lists in the appendixes make this book a text for students of the Crusades and monastic knights. His research is easy to follow, and discover. This book will quickly become sourcing for others.

One hopes that Martin will continue to write history. This book is very recommendable.

I am currently writing a report about the Knights Templar and during the research phase this was my main source because it is incredibly informative and easy to read. I also like the way that it is concise but packs a lot of info in. He did a good job of seperating fact from legend but included them both. the appendicies were quite helpful, I reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in the Knights Templar or anyone who in't but would like to learn more.

I thought this was an excellent book on a very controversial group in history. I think the book stuck well to factual accounts of the Templars. It did address the many rumors about the group but kept things in perspective as to the certainty of the accounts unlike other books about the Templars. This was an easy read and an enjoyable book

This being my 1st book about this particular topic, "The Knights Templar" was a very easy read, and I think a good start in the field of Templar History. Sean Martin breaks everything out in a very understandable way. He discusses their origin and how The Templars began. He makes note of all the different kings, and various religious orders involved in the Crusades. After viewing the wonderful film, "Kingdom Of Heaven" recently released - you see some great characters come to life again, namely: Saladin, King Guy, King Baldwin the leper, etc).

I like the way Sean Martin explains the mysteries in the last section of the book. He goes into detail about the myths surrounding this unbelievable organization. Also, towards the end of the book, we see the decline of The Templars. It goes to show that when someone/some organization gets too powerful, the government will do whatever is necessary to rid the world of their existence. The same practice is still present in today's society! Nevertheless, it's still hard to believe that anyone had the ability to take The Templars down (being as rich, powerful, and influential as they were). *They had received papal bulls from Pope Innocent II (and a few popes to follow) which granted them unprecedented power without having to answer to anyone, kings included - simply amazing! The Templars had "divine power" (answering solely to the pope) and they used that leverage to their advantage for any endeavor they pursued. We'll never see that kind of institution again!

I will definitely have to read this book again to get more acquainted with the times, important figures, events and so on. For a small paperback, there is a lot of information to take in which makes this book a great little treasure to have! However, it will be a pleasure to read this book another time, and furthermore, I will use "The Knights Templar" as my guide to pursuing more books of the same interest. I hope to expand my knowledge about The Templars, and the power they held like no one else in history!

This book has received some good reviews on Amazon, although there was at least someone who did not like it. I thought that it was a good primer on the subject of the Knights Templer. It concerned itself mainly with historical fact although it did delve briefly into the Templar myths in the second part.

The book is short and written in a light style to allow you to digest it quickly. There is not much exploration of the history of the Templars just a move through key people and dates. Despite that, the book is not dry and I found it a bit of a page turner, since it starts with a scene of the Templar demise and asks why did the order rise so quickly and fall just as fast.

Sean Martin does a good job of tackling the subject before him. He does quote sources, although his primary sources are normally from other secondary sources, which can be dangerous as the context can disappear. He is discerning in how he views the medieval sources he uses, acknowledging that there were elements with their own positions to push.

He includes some recommended reading at the end and nicely divides it between those books on the fact and those on the myth. He has written a book about the fact although the last paragraph shows that he is not entirely unsympathetic towards the myth.

A good read and a good introduction to the Templars.

Easy to read book, just enough information to get you to explore for more history, and more adventure in reading.
It is interesting, historical and factual. Well worth the read.

After reading "The Da Vinci Code" I wanted to know more about the real history behind the book. The Knights Templar turned out to be one of the most difficult subjects to find solid information on. This was practically the only book I could find that had any kind of respectable citations, although they are light even in this book. As I came to learn this was because there was very little hard history about the Templars, most of the stories are anecdotal at best and at worst mostly fiction. Sean Martin covers their history fairly and clearly delineates what is backed by hard evidence and what is purely anecdotal. The book is definitely brief but it covers the subject well and without the sensationalism most of the books on the subject use.

What a disapointment. I had seen the author in various interviews and commentaries and was impressed with his knowledge. For whatever reason his book was condensed to the point of being a mini-paperback. The third crusade has been reduced to eight small pages with other major historical points glossed over. The average reader will finish this book in a couple of hours.