The Templars: Knights of God (The Rise and Fall of the Knights Templars) [Paperback]

Edward Burman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1988

For nearly 200 years, until their suppression in 1312 on charges of heresy and magical practices, the Order of the Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon--better known as the Templars--were the most formidable and feared fighting machine in Christendom.  Besides their military prowess they also possessed immense wealth and political power, becoming bankers and credit brokers to medieval Europe and the allies of kings and popes.
Drawing on contemporary chronicles and original texts, as well as the immense secondary literature, Edward Burman paints a vivid picture of this extraordinary organization of warrior monks and its passage into myth and legend.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Refreshing reading in light of much of Templar-oriented books over the last 10 or 15 years.  Well worth reading . . . clear, to the point, and supported with numerous references."
(

Mark Stavish, Institute for Hermetic Studies, Feb 2006?

)

“. . . as true a record of the inception and fate of a mighty order of warrior knights as the primary and secondary sources allow.”
(Jennifer Hoskins, New Dawn, July-Aug 2007 )

About the Author

Edward Burman has a degree in philosophy from the University of Leeds. He is the author of The Inquisition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions (December 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892812214
• ISBN-13: 978-0892812219
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,722,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A bargain just for the bibliography, August 26, 2002

By 

J. Carmody (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Templars: Knights of God (The Rise and Fall of the Knights Templars) (Paperback)

This gives a once-over look at the history of the order, from what seems to be a very English point of view (nothing wrong with that) that can get to be dry "history book" reading sometimes. BUT, Mr. Burman has a bundle of contemporary sources, French, Latin, and Arabic sources, that really give this handy little book a surprising amount of depth for being "cursory".

An excellent complement to a study of the Order, or of the Crusades, or of medieval history in general.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice general survey, May 26, 2001

By 

David E. Matchen "Expatriate smartass" (Where Baseball Goes to Die) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Templars: Knights of God (The Rise and Fall of the Knights Templars) (Paperback)

"The Templars" doesn't purport to be, and isn't, an exhaustive study of the most intriguing of the Crusader-era military orders. The book is targeted towards the reader who wants a concise overview of the order, without bogging down in discussions of modern-day conspiracy theory or the allegations of witchcraft which eventually doomed the Knights. The book is refreshingly sober in this respect, and, as such, gets a generally good rating from me. Indeed, the Holy Grail is mentioned only in passing, and, if you're looking for fuel for that particular fire, you'll have to look elsewhere.
However, although a chapter was devoted to the part of Templar history which most appealed to me--namely, the Order's development in Western Europe into a massive multinational proto-banking institution--it still left me wanting more explanation in that regard. The reasons behind this phenomenon are examined only cursorily by the book, and are, perhaps, not realistically within the scope of a work this size.
Despite this shortcoming, the author makes effective use of a number of contemporary chroniclers, both Crusader and anti-Crusader, to bolster his thesis--that the Templars' downfall was brought about through a fundamental lack of political "situational awareness" among their leaders that eventually left them vulnerable to Philip the Fair's probably-spurious accusations of heresy. Their undoubted influence among the popes of the 12th and 13th centuries no doubt contributed to their becoming a natural target and tool in Philip's plans to gain control of the papacy (which, indeed, moved to Avignon around the time of the Order's suppression). I think any scholar will find this work an interesting, concise summary.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Factual account of Templar rise and fall, June 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Templars: Knights of God (The Rise and Fall of the Knights Templars) (Paperback)

If you want to read an extended dissertation on the Templars - then this is worth a look. The only criticism I have is that it is too conservative and skims over the extensive myths surrounding the Templars. Although it seems well researched - it almost totally ignores the more esoteric tales of the knights. If you want to read about the knights, the grail and mysticism.....then look elsewhere.