Growing up in a private Christian school, of course I learned about the Templars, but what I learned was heavily biased, if not glossed over. These were not the good guys, even though they thought they were—what Jones calls "the gap between the Templar ideal and real life" (359). They were fanatics. Not only were they vicious, but they were also hypocritical and corrupt. I despise the very notions they held, barging into a land not their own to eradicate its people because they follow a different god. These were campaigns whose repercussions can still be felt today.

I found the epilogue very interesting because Jones delves into the Templars' influence on literature and art (e.g., the Holy Grail). I can see this influence in the medieval historical romances I read, which makes those little tidbits I see in fiction even more interesting. He also goes into the connection to freemasonry (which I admit I still do not understand).

Always a treat to read Dan Jones and The Templars is certainly no exception. After years of people making veiled conspiracy theories, Dan Jones lays out the facts in an enjoyable, refreshing fashion. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The author takes you on a journey through time with this book about the Knights of the Templar. Starting from their beginnings and showing you their rules to become a member and the secrets that they were guarding like they did with the Pope. Also with creating the first World bank, and started to protect christens in the Holy Land. They would fight for two hundred years until a French King would take them down and their money. This book is filled with a lot of information and history from that period. The author gives you so much information that if you are not interested in this topic there is no point reading this book. But if you take the time you will not be disappointed in the reading for you will be sent away back in time with knights and fights that are not from are lifetime but of ones that are only in our imagination. A wonderful book.

I requested this from NetGalley because it sounded interesting and I don't know anything about the Templars. If you don't know about them either, they're this Christian order that was formed to protect pilgrims to Jerusalem and ended up playing a big role in the crusades. Also, most modern portrayals of them (especially the 'Templars are still alive' thing) are inaccurate.

As a history of the organisation, this book takes a broad view, focusing not on the everyday life of a Templar but on the key events and people that made up the Templars or fought against the Templars. Since there are several countries involved this could have become very confusing but the author manages to make it one coherent narrative.

I found it pretty interesting to read about them and how they fought against the equally strong (and at times even stronger) Muslim countries. Thankfully, the author stays away from a discussion of both Islamic and Christian theology and/or which was right, instead focusing on who does what (and why), which I think helped make it an objective narrative.

Another thing I also liked that even though this is a book about a Christian organisation, Muslim sources are quoted as frequently as Christian ones (ok I didn't do a formal count but it definitely felt that way to me). Quoting both sides helped me get a fuller picture and to understand how the Templars saw themselves and how others saw them.

One thing I thought fascinating about the Templars was that their portrayal depended largely on the motives of the writer, something that holds true today. Usama ibn Minqidh portrays them as open-minded and specifically mentions that they let him use one of their Churches for his daily prayers. But another man, Imad al-Din, calls them "the worst of the infidels." The difference occurs because the former wants to talk about honour and chivalry while the later wants to praise Saladin.

I think anyone interested in history would enjoy this book. It's definitely a heavy read, but it is fascinating and after reading it, I wonder why anyone would bother making up stories about the Templars. The actual history has so much to draw on.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

I know what many of you might be thinking; there is no way I can be objective about a book by my very most favorite historian and this will basically be one long blathering-on about how the book is awesome and amazing and I that heart Dan Jones.

Part of that is true. I am going to tell you that this book is awesome and amazing. But not because I fangirl so much over Jones that he will probably have a restraining order by the time his St Louis tour date rolls around and I will only be able to shout at him from outside the bookstore fifty feet away, but because he is an incredibly talented writer. I challenge anyone to pick up one of his books and tell me it is not thoroughly researched, as well as written in a way that keeps you fully engaged as though it were a novel. Non-fiction is hard for a lot of people and I get it. I know I am kind of an anomaly in the blogger world in that I read non-fiction almost exclusively (at least in the part of the blogger world that I currently inhabit). For a lot of people non-fiction books, and history in particular, appear daunting because people think they are simply boring regurgitations of dates and places, with central figures often having the same name so that they are only distinguishable by I, II, III, and so on. The fantastic thing about the way Jones writes is that he conveys all of that same information, but he is a gifted storyteller. He brings to life each Henry or Edward, for example, in such a way that you can't help but remember their best and worst because he has made them stand out, each in their own unique way. This latest book is no different than his first four and I look forward to the projects he will work on in the future. (PLEASE please please do something specifically on Eleanor of Aquitaine, whether it is a traditional documentary or short docu-series in the vein of Elizabeth that you and Dr. Lipscomb worked on. PLEASE!)

My own knowledge of Templar history is a bit spotty, as is my knowledge of any of the Crusades besides II and III. Even then, my area of expertise involves Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard I on their respective journeys, unrelated to the various holy orders who called the Holy Land home. I have read books that mention the Templars and seen a documentary here and there, but my knowledge was largely confined to their devastating end.

It would be easy to be overwhelmed by this book as it plots in quite a detailed way the humble beginnings of the Order of the Poor Knights of the Temple of Jerusalem - easy to see why the name was shortened to the Knights Templar, eh? - to the height of their power and then swift fall. To avoid such overwhelm-ishness, the book is divided into four sections, presenting the various ways in which the order evolved. First, we see them as pilgrims in the first four decades of their existence from 1102 to 1144. Gradually that role then shifts to that of soldiers in the next section - though they were always prepared to shed blood for Christ. This specific section relays the following forty years, from 1144 to 1187. The third section recalls the Templars evolution into a third role, that of bankers and wealth managers to kings and aristocratic crusaders from all over their known world as the Templar fortune grew beyond what anyone could have ever dreamed. The role of world bankers grew between 1189 and 1260, eventually leading to their destruction. We see this all happen in the final section titled 'Heretics', which covers the final fifty years of the order's existence, from 1260 to 1311. It is quite a roller coaster ride that we are treated to and the journey is well worth it.

I appreciate the epilogue that Jones included, specifically addressing the issue of the Holy Grail in relation to the Order. He notes that through fictional work from the period, "The Templars had been transformed for the first time from a crusader militia into the guardians of the mythical Holy Grail" (page 405, UK proof). This is accompanied by a footnote that the Grail was in fact a medieval invention in relation to various Arthurian romances and not an actual object from the Last Supper. Sorry, Indiana Jones. I'm bummed too.

In addition to this wealth of information of the Templar story, we also get supplemental material to help complete the picture. This includes maps, notes on names, brief bios of major players of the time (Hey Eleanor!), the popes (no antipopes) through those centuries, the kings and queens of Jerusalem, and finally the names of every Master of the Order of the Poor Knights of the Temple of Jerusalem. As one would expect from Jones, the notes section and bibliography are extensive and light the way for anyone looking to further read up on the subject.

I have purposely been a bit sparse on details from the book, as we are still roughly a month out from the book being available for public consumption. I don't want to give away a lot of these fascinating details because I do hope you will discover them for yourselves. If you care to see the notes I took as I was reading, you can see them on Goodreads. I also hope that any silliness that sometimes accompanies my discussion of Jones and his work does not deter you from picking up this book, or any of his others (yes, I do understand in reality that we are not BFFs. Yet.) The story alone is worth it, as their rise and fall was spectacular indeed (to steal from the subtitle of the US edition.) But the way in which Jones' writes will keep your attention the whole way through. Highly recommended.

And just for the record - I did in fact get to meet him in St Louis and it was awesome.

This book was too detailed for my taste. It may be likeable for readers who like lots of political and detailed information.

The manuscript provided by the publisher was difficult to read because the electronic version had many distortions in format. The editorial notes were left in the version I received.

It was very difficult to keep track of the various characters and locations that were presented in the book. The timeline was also hard to visualize causing confusion with what was happening when. The book was otherwise relatively readable. Jones gives great insight into the politics of the period and the life and times of the people caught up in Templar activities.

The Templars

The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors



by Dan Jones

PENGUIN GROUP Viking

Viking



History

Pub Date 19 Sep 2017

I am reviewing a copy of The Templars through Penguin Group Viking and Netgalley:

In Jerusalem in the year 1119 a small group of knights after the first crusade set up a new order in hopes of finding a new purpose. This small group became the first Knights of the Templar and were a band of elite warriors were prepared to give their lives to protect Christian Pilgrims of the Holy Land for the next two hundred years.

The author points out that Christian Pilgrims had been visiting Jerusalem since at least the fourth century.

At the time of the Templars violence between the Christian, the Jewish and the Muslims was commonplace.

We learn too that the Knights of the Temple were founded between January 14 and September 13 of 1120.

The Templars were in part body guards and part Paupers.

We learn too that in the 1130's and 1140's the Templars flooded into Spain.

In 1147 a time of violence was upon them once again, this became known as the second crusade. The Templars had invested a great deal in the second crusade. They had marched Louis VII through Asia Minor and propped his crusade up through enormous loans.

In the winter of 1149-1150 Gaza began to stir.

This groundbreaking Narrative History by the author of The Plangenets tells the true story of The Templars for the first time in a generation. This book tells us about how The Templars established the Medieval World's first global bank and how they threatened war to anyone who went against their interest.

By 1307 bogged down by a faltering war in the Middle East, the Templars fell foul of the king of France. On October 13 hundreds of brothers were arrested imprisoned, tortured and disbanded amid accusations of lurid sexual acts and heresy. They were tried by the Vatican, but many question whether they were really herectics.

I give The Templars five out of five stars.

Happy Reading!

Dan Jones (author of recent greats such as "The War of the Roses" and "The Plantagenets") delivers yet again with another absolutely spectacular work, and possibly his best to date. From their humble origins to their great fall, from Jerusalem to burning pyres in France, Jones takes readers through a grand history of the Knights Templar. His is a chronicle that offers focuses not merely on the military exploits of these legendary knights in the Holy Land, but also by extension covers in fine detail the vast commercial empire that they built in the west and made them such tempting targets at their end, and nearly the full history of the Outremer Crusader states. In other words, his history is a fully and magnificently comprehensive one, and as usual for his works is presented in a way that does not overwhelm the reader with the sheer breadth of information packed in its pages, but rather keeps them fully engaged with his captivating narrative style.

After being utilized for countless pseudo-histories and conspiracy theories of every shape and size, the Templar Knights now have a written champion in the this book, which does them and their order full justice. In a passionately-crafted work built on historical sources and not mere speculation or shoddy, biased-from-the-start scholarship, Jones shows that the Templars don't need mystery or myth to make them objects of interest. Their genuine history is clearly more than enough to keep their memory alive and focus of rightful fascination and enthusiasm long after their passing.

After being utilized for countless pseudo-histories and conspiracy theories of every shape and size, the Templar Knights now have a written champion in the this book, which does them and their order full justice. In a passionately-crafted work built on historical sources and not mere speculation or shoddy, biased-from-the-start scholarship, Jones shows that the Templars don't need mystery or myth to make them objects of interest. Their genuine history is clearly more than enough to keep their memory alive and rightfully make them remain a focus of fascination and enthusiasm long after their passing.

Excellent book whose style is both its major strength and weakness: the use of end notes rather than footnotes makes it a difficult read on an electronic device and an unpleasant read in hard copy for any who want to pursue further the sources listed. This is a real pity since the author has done a very first rate job of telling the story of the Templars without sensationalizing the history or burying it under impenetrable academic prose. Citation style aside, this book would make either an excellent beginning textbook or a quite enjoyable read for those interested in the history of the Templars.

The Templars by Dan Jones is a rollicking read! The Templars were established as a defense for the protection of pilgrims making their way to an Islamic held Jerusalem. They were "part bodyguards, part paupers" when they stared out in the 1100s. The journey of the development and the fall of The Templars is fascinating.

The best part about this book is that Dan Jones has a wonderful storytelling style to his writing. It makes you feel less like a history lesson and more like reading an episode of The Game of Thrones. How he does it, I can't say, but it is thoroughly enjoyable to learn more about The Templars and feel like I am reading an adventure novel!

I have always been fascinated by the Templars. They were surely ahead of their times in some of dealings. It is interesting how many got caught up in the frenzy of " doing good" for the church . One wonders if they really menat it. This books answers lots of questions, but also leaves many unanswered. A good read.