"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
This approach takes Read back into the Dark Ages and the context for the first Christian Crusade that culminated in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099.In an attempt to hold on to Jerusalem and one of the holiest sites in Christendom, the Temple of Solomon, the Templars were formed as a strict religious-military order, committed to poverty, chastity and the protection of pilgrims en route to the Holy Land. Read charts their rise to political and financial power and influence throughout Europe and the Holy Land, and their bloody (and ultimately unsuccessful) conflict with the forces of Islam over the subsequent two centuries. Read's account is painstakingly recounted but often lacks the verve and pace demanded by the colourful cast of characters, including Saladin and Richard the Lionheart. The best sections of the book deal with the shockingly cynical destruction of the Order by Pope Clement V and King Philip the Fair in 1312, preceded by the torture and death of hundreds of Templars who had already fought bravely for the cross in the Holy Land. The Templars are fascinating but in his attempt to avoid the more colourful and conspiratorial stories associated with the Order, Read's book may strike some as a little turgid, despite its admirable historical detail. --Jerry Brotton
"In his preface Read credits the influence of a new generation of Crusade historians . . . With The Templars he can now take an honored place among them." --"The Washington Post"
"An unblinking account." --"Financial Times"
“An engrossing and beautifully written work of popular history that unfolds like a well-structured crime novel.” —"Booklist"
“In his preface Read credits the influence of a new generation of Crusade historians . . . With The Templars he can now take an honored place among them.” —"The Washington Post"
“An unblinking account.” —"Financial Times"
"An engrossing and beautifully written work of popular history that unfolds like a well-structured crime novel." --"Booklist"
"In his preface Read credits the influence of a new generation of Crusade historians . . . With The Templars he can now take an honored place among them." --"The Washington Post"
"An unblinking account." --"Financial Times"
An engrossing and beautifully written work of popular history that unfolds like a well-structured crime novel. "Booklist"
In his preface Read credits the influence of a new generation of Crusade historians . . . With The Templars he can now take an honored place among them. "The Washington Post"
An unblinking account. "Financial Times""
An engrossing and beautifully written work of popular history that unfolds like a well-structured crime novel. Booklist
In his preface Read credits the influence of a new generation of Crusade historians . . . With The Templars he can now take an honored place among them. The Washington Post
An unblinking account. Financial Times
""An engrossing and beautifully written work of popular history that unfolds like a well-structured crime novel." --Booklist
"In his preface Read credits the influence of a new generation of Crusade historians . . . With The Templars he can now take an honored place among them." --The Washington Post
"An unblinking account." --Financial Times
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