Customer Reviews

The Templar Code For Dummies

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The team of Chris Hodapp, P.M. and Alice Von Kannon turn out his second and her first "For Dummies" book just in time to catch the coattails of -- or more accurately, to serve as a sort of "pre-viewing guide" to -- author Dan Brown's long-promised and long-anticipated Da Vinci Code sequel. And whether or not that sequel ever sees the light of day, this book will be a revelation for "Brownites", as it terms them, who may have been a bit too eager to accept Brown's self-serving rewrite of Templar and Masonic history.

The book's first five chapters are a straightforward historical account of how the Templars came to be, and what they were all about. From defining knighthood and monkhood, to the Templar Rule established by St. Bernard of Clairvaux for their government, to their mission of protecting pilgrims on their journey to the Holy Land and their creation of the first international banking system and letters of credit, through their last years of defeat, denunciation and final destruction, everything you would ever want to know about the Templars is laid out in the freewheeling but accessible "Dummies" style to which Hodapp and Von Kannon are becoming very well accustomed.

In a well-researched and sourced sixth chapter, Hodapp and Von Kannon examine in "Cold Case Files"-like detail the evidence used by French king Phillip IV ("The Fair") to force the downfall of the Templars, and they find much chaff and little if any meat in the wild accusations made by Phillip -- and they also report the surprising and only recently-made-public story of Pope Clement's secret absolution of the Templars following their arrests. Sadly, absolution was as far as the Pope, his power weakened by Phillip's domination and under what was essentially house arrest at Avignon, could go.

Chapters 7 through 11 detail the post-fall Templar myths, legends, and even a bit of fact, discussing among other things the legends of the Holy Grail and the alleged bloodline of Christ through his marriage to Mary Magadalene, who later is said to have settled in France and become one of the progenitors of the Merovingian royal family. Also discussed is the Priory of Sion hoax on which a lot of this recent mythology is based.

Then Hodapp and Von Kannon throw things into a different gear. Chapters 12-14 are not so much conceived as Templar history as they are a disputation of Dan Brown's fictional history, in which Brown plays fast and loose with the history of the Catholic Church, the Templars and Opus Dei, the fraudulent Priory of Sion, and the "suppression" of the "Feminine Divine" by the Church. It will perhaps be not surprising to Templar-savvy Freemasons that the Brownite version of history does not fare well in these chapters.

The last three chapters of the book are, of course, the Dummies-standard "parts of tens."

Overall the book is never boring, always an informative and interesting read. The authors have turned out yet another fine addition to any Masonic library.

(This review was written by me for publication in the October 2007 issue of the Indiana Freemason Magazine. Full disclosure: I have been a personal friend of both authors for 30 years, and Chris and I were raised in the same Masonic Lodge.)

Christopher Hodapp, the author of "Freemasons for Dummies", has come up with another excellent reference in "The Templar Code for Dummies". Written in the standard "for Dummies" format, Christopher Hodapp, writing with Alice Von Kannon, offers seventeen chapters and multiple sections that discuss the history, rise, fall, and legends of the Knights Templar.

"The Templar Code for Dummies" is useful for Freemasons as it draws parallels and shows the divisions between the Masonic Order of the Knights Templar, and the historical Knights Templar. Throughout the book, there are also "Dan Brown Alerts" which alert the reader to Templar topics that have to do specifically with the works of author Dan Brown (primarily "The Da Vinci Code); and the "Templar Code for Dummies" serves to dispel many of the myths being fostered by "Internet Templars" (those who claim the title of knight and Templar based on a click of a mouse and their membership in an on-line forum).

No matter what your interest in the Knights Templar, "The Templar Code for Dummies" will almost certainly have something to peak your interest. If you are interested in Templar history, there is plenty of it in this book. Interested in the Templar quest for the Holy Grail? There is something about that here too. Did the Church suppress the `Divine Feminine', and is this what the secret found by the Templars? Chapter 13, discusses this Truth or Feminist Fiction. And... if you are a Freemason of the Scottish or York Rite, this book is essential reading.

Easy to read, informative, and entertaining. "The Templar Code for Dummies" is Highly Recommended.

Hodapp has a great sense of humor, and along with his co-writer, gives a nifty little overall view of one of histories most controversial orders of knighthood. While I can't agree with all their OPINIONS (vis a vie Zerubbabel and the line of David), their history is spot on, and for a quick reference, this book can't be beat. Even if you have one of those big, massive books on the order, get this for quick look-ups and reading, you will be glad you did.

Don't let the 'Code' business fool you, or the Dummies name, for that matter. This is a smart, fast-paced, well-rounded introduction to the history, myths and legends of the Knights Templar. Entertaining, but ingeniously thorough, it breaks down the Templar story into digestible chunks. There's a thumbnail sketch of the Crusades themselves, then a detailed account of the formation of the Templar order. The authors explore the fall of the Templars with a 'Cold Case Files' approach that peels apart the accusations of the French King Philippe IV, his oafish tool Pope Clement V, and the moving of the Vatican to Avignon. They then pick through the bones of the many legends of the Templars, their treasure, their supposed flight to Scotland and God knows where else. The book is unique and unlike any other I've ever read because it also covers the Freemasons' legends that they were descended from the Templars, along with many other groups that claim to be the modern incarnation of the order. The Templars were closely tied to myths of the Holy Grail as well, and this book explores the Grail legends, which makes a nice segue to the treatment of the Order in 'The Da Vinci Code.' If Dan Brown's book is where you first learned of the Grail and the Templars, this book goes into detail about what Dan Brown took from history and what he made up. In a way the book has a certain schizophrenia. Da Vinci Code fever has been gone for a year, so the last 20% or so of this book misses the boat - unless you didn't know any of the history Brown plundered. Then, it's an eye opener. But it is unquestionably one of the best, concise works introducing the Knights of the Temple that is both intelligent and great fun to read.

Well worth the money. I've read extensively about the Knights Templar but much of this material was new to me. Quick read and not the least boring. This guy does a great "Cliff Notes" for anyone interested in a thorough history of the Crusades and the Knights of this period.

This book is easily read. It laid out well and flows from one subject to the next easily. This is a necessary read for any student of the period and for anyone interested in the masonic story of the Templars. Generally historically accurate.

While this will be brief, as I don't want to go into vast detail as to what is int he book... I will say that Hodapp delivers yet again. I'd also recommend you check out his titles Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies, Templar Code For Dummies, and Freemasons for Dummies if either of those subjects interest you. I highly recommend all of these titles as he really comes through as does Alice Von Kannon in the case for this title, Templar Code, and Conspiracy Theories.

The authors of this book take a complex and often misunderstood or exaggerated subject and make it clear and easily accessible to readers of all levels. Highly recommended as a solid, scholarly introduction to the Knights Templar.

An outstanding source of information about the Knights Templar. The book dispels many myths about the Templars.

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