Download or read book The Rise Fall of the Knights Templar written by Gordon Napier and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2011-10-24 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A highly readable look at the lifespan of the famous Knights Templar, who were warrior monks and the first disciplined, regulated, and uniformed standing army since antiquity throughout Europe and the Holy Lands—an economic force to be reckoned with and perhaps an institution guarding dark secrets. The origins of the concept of Holy War are explored, from Biblical times through the rise of Islam and the Christian movement, which inspired untold thousands to set out to recapture Jerusalem, as warriors and as pilgrims. This book explains how nine knights led by Hugues de Payens came from France to guard pilgrims in the Holy Land, how they gained the site of the Temple of Solomon, and what they did there, including a reevaluation of the historical evidence. Other topics discussed include how an unprecedented religious Order grew and pledged to bloodshed in defense of pilgrims, the territory conquered by the Crusaders, and the role and agenda of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and other powerful backers. The Order's contribution to the ongoing Crusades is explained, as well as their military tactics and organization and the fortresses and bases they established. Discussion of the fate of the Order after the failure of the Crusades includes a detailed examination of the charges of occult rituals involving idol worship, spitting on the Cross, and obscene kisses, through to the burning of the last Grand Master Jacques de Molay in 1314.
Download or read book The Templars written by Dan Jones and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-09-19 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Dan Jones is an entertainer, but also a bona fide historian. Seldom does one find serious scholarship so easy to read.” – The Times, Book of the Year A New York Times bestseller, this major new history of the knights Templar is “a fresh, muscular and compelling history of the ultimate military-religious crusading order, combining sensible scholarship with narrative swagger" – Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem A faltering war in the middle east. A band of elite warriors determined to fight to the death to protect Christianity’s holiest sites. A global financial network unaccountable to any government. A sinister plot founded on a web of lies. Jerusalem 1119. A small group of knights seeking a purpose in the violent aftermath of the First Crusade decides to set up a new order. These are the first Knights Templar, a band of elite warriors prepared to give their lives to protect Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land. Over the next two hundred years, the Templars would become the most powerful religious order of the medieval world. Their legend has inspired fervent speculation ever since. In this groundbreaking narrative history, Dan Jones tells the true story of the Templars for the first time in a generation, drawing on extensive original sources to build a gripping account of these Christian holy warriors whose heroism and alleged depravity have been shrouded in myth. The Templars were protected by the pope and sworn to strict vows of celibacy. They fought the forces of Islam in hand-to-hand combat on the sun-baked hills where Jesus lived and died, finding their nemesis in Saladin, who vowed to drive all Christians from the lands of Islam. Experts at channeling money across borders, they established the medieval world’s largest and most innovative banking network and waged private wars against anyone who threatened their interests. Then, as they faced setbacks at the hands of the ruthless Mamluk sultan Baybars and were forced to retreat to their stronghold in Cyprus, a vindictive and cash-strapped King of France set his sights on their fortune. His administrators quietly mounted a damning case against the Templars, built on deliberate lies and false testimony. On Friday October 13, 1307, hundreds of brothers were arrested, imprisoned and tortured, and the order was disbanded amid lurid accusations of sexual misconduct and heresy. They were tried by the Pope in secret proceedings and their last master was brutally tortured and burned at the stake. But were they heretics or victims of a ruthlessly repressive state? Dan Jones goes back to the sources tobring their dramatic tale, so relevant to our own times, to life in a book that is at once authoritative and compulsively readable.
Download or read book The Rise Fall of the Knights Templar written by Gordon Napier and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2011-10-24 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A highly readable look at the lifespan of the famous Knights Templar, who were warrior monks and the first disciplined, regulated, and uniformed standing army since antiquity throughout Europe and the Holy Lands—an economic force to be reckoned with and perhaps an institution guarding dark secrets. The origins of the concept of Holy War are explored, from Biblical times through the rise of Islam and the Christian movement, which inspired untold thousands to set out to recapture Jerusalem, as warriors and as pilgrims. This book explains how nine knights led by Hugues de Payens came from France to guard pilgrims in the Holy Land, how they gained the site of the Temple of Solomon, and what they did there, including a reevaluation of the historical evidence. Other topics discussed include how an unprecedented religious Order grew and pledged to bloodshed in defense of pilgrims, the territory conquered by the Crusaders, and the role and agenda of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and other powerful backers. The Order's contribution to the ongoing Crusades is explained, as well as their military tactics and organization and the fortresses and bases they established. Discussion of the fate of the Order after the failure of the Crusades includes a detailed examination of the charges of occult rituals involving idol worship, spitting on the Cross, and obscene kisses, through to the burning of the last Grand Master Jacques de Molay in 1314.
Download or read book The Tragedy of the Templars written by Michael Haag and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Michael Haag, bestselling author of The Templars: The History and the Myth, comes The Tragedy of the Templars, an exciting new look at the rise of Templar power and the saga of their destruction. Founded on Christmas Day 1119 in Jerusalem, the Knights Templar was a religious order dedicated to defending the Holy Land and its Christian pilgrims in the decades after the First Crusade. Legendary for their bravery and dedication, the Templars became one of the wealthiest and most powerful bodies of the medieval world—and the chief defenders of Christian society against growing Muslim forces. In The Tragedy of the Templars: The Rise and Fall of the Crusader States, Haag masterfully details the conflicts and betrayals that sent this faction of powerful knights spiraling from domination to condemnation. This stirring and thoroughly researched work of historical investigation includes maps and full-color photographs of important cultural sites, many of which doubled as battlefields during the Crusades.
Download or read book The Persecution of the Knights Templar Scandal Torture Trial written by Alain Demurger and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-01-01 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive account of history's most infamous trial, following the doomed Order of the Knights Templar from scandal to suppression. The trial of the Knights Templar is one of the most infamous in history. Accused of heresy by the king of France, the Templars were arrested and imprisoned, had their goods seized and their monasteries ransacked. Under brutal interrogation and torture, many made shocking confessions: denial of Christ, desecration of the Cross, sex acts, and more. This narrative follows the everyday reality of the trial, from the early days of scandal and scheming in 1305, via torture, imprisonment and the dissolution of the order, to 1314, when leaders Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charnay were burned at the stake. Through first-hand testimony and written records of the interrogations of 231 French Templars, this book illuminates the stories of hundreds of ordinary members, some of whom testified at the trial, as well as the many others who denied the charges or retracted their confessions. This is a deeply researched and immersive account that gives a striking vision of the relentless persecution, and the oft-underestimated resistance, of the once-mighty Knights Templar.
Download or read book The history of the Knights Templars the Temple church and the Temple written by Charles Greenstreet Addison and published by . This book was released on 1842 with total page 600 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Secrets of the Knights Templar written by Susie Hodge and published by Quercus Publishing. This book was released on 2013-08-29 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Knights Templar are one of the most secretive and powerful religious orders in history: for over two centuries they were the elite fighting force of the Crusades. Highly trained, and adhering to a strict chivalric code, their success on the battlefield brought them both wealth and political influence. But it is the legends and secrecy surrounding the order and its Grand Masters that continue to fascinate historians and general readers alike. Secrets of the Knights Templar examines each of these mysteries in turn to reveal the truth about the Knights' secret practices, rituals and codes, as well as the continued influence of the Templars today. From the true location of the Holy Grail to the Templars' involvement in the Battle of Bannockburn, and from the sudden downfall of the order to modern-day claims of descent - S. J. Hodge uncovers the hidden links behind the stories and separates historical fact from fiction.
Download or read book The Templars written by Piers Paul Read and published by Orion Publishing Group. This book was released on 2000-08-01 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sifting myth from history, Piers Paul Read reveals the Templars ¿ the multinational force of warrior monks, in their white tunics with red crosses over chainmail. They were not only unique among Christian institutions but constituted the first uniformed standing army in the western world and became pioneers of international banking. Expropriated by Philip IV of France in 1307, and confessing under torture to blasphemy, heresy and sodomy, the Order was finally suppressed by Pope Clement V in 1312. In a narrative that incorporates the story of the crusades and the many colourful characters who had links with the Templars, Piers Paul Read examines the question of their guilt and identifies their relevance to our own times. 'A highly readable and nicely paced book that draws on the lessons of modern historical scholarship while also communicating a sense of narrative excitement and drive' 'Evocative, measured and engaging' Evening Standard 'Magnificent in every way' Mail on Sunday
Download or read book Templars written by Sanford Holst and published by . This book was released on 2013-08-26 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mysteries about the Knights Templar are at the heart of this exploration into the lives of extraordinary people who shaped this legendary order. Their intriguing stories shed new light on the forces that propelled Hugh de Payens and his Templars to positions of exceptional influence in the Medieval world. Templar links to Solomon's Temple have emerged as being more important than previously thought, and even added to the incredible wealth that filled their coffers. The rise of these knights also increased the power of the Vatican, whose later attacks on the Templars came back to haunt it. Walter de Clifton and other real-life Templars left testimony that revealed how they survived the arrests and executions that decimated their brotherhood in 1307. Living as outcasts, these once-powerful knights contributed to the fall of kings in Europe and the Vatican's loss of its dominant position. Their actions still influence our lives today.
Download or read book The Trial of the Templars written by Malcolm Barber and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-26 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Barber's classic account endeavours to tackle the unresolved controversies surrounding the consequences of the trial.
Download or read book The Knights Templar Revealed written by Alan Butler and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: So state the authors, Alan Butler and Stephen Dafoe, in their much-acclaimed work The Warriors and the Bankers. But where did they come from, these mysterious white-mantled Knights of Christ, and were they simply a reflection of early twelfth-century Christian thinking? This is a question that Butler and Dafoe set out to answer - the discoveries they made will result in a dramatic reassessment of the whole period relating to the First Crusade and far beyond. The true genesis of the Knights Templar belong far back in time, long before Christianity even developed. The Templars were an offshoot of a little understood monastic brotherhood - the Cistercians, who themselves danced to the tune of an extremely powerful group of individuals inhabiting Burgundy and Flanders from the time of the Romans onwards. Butler and Dafoe offer a detailed account of the rise of a specific group identified as 'the Troyes Fraternity' that did not simply respond to the caprices of history; they made it. Behind the Knights Templar lay a pattern of belief almost as old as humanity and a heritage that was already ancient before recorded history began. The story is both fascinating and compulsive. It will le
Download or read book The Knights Templar written by Sean Martin and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2009-04-29 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an essential exploration into the history of a legendary group of Crusaders, which are prominently featured in Dan Brown's recent best seller, The Da Vinci Code. The Knights Templar rose from humble beginnings to become the most powerful military religious order of the Middle Ages. Formed to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land, they participated in the Crusades and rapidly gained wealth, lands, and influence. Seemingly untouchable for nearly two centuries, they fell from grace spectacularly after the loss of the Holy Land. In the ensuing centuries the Templars have exerted a unique influence over European history; orthodox historians see them as nothing more than soldier-monks whose arrogance was their ultimate undoing, while others see them as occultists of the first order. With clarity and ease, Martin navigates between the orthodox and the speculative, the historical and the myth, to bring alive the story of the Templars. Like those other legends of the Middle Ages -- the characters of the Arthurian tales -- The Knights Templar holds captive the imagination of all those intrigued by conspiracy and how history and myth intertwine to become the stuff of legend.
Download or read book The History of the Knights Templar written by Charles Addison and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2018-06-21 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A richly detailed, sometimes challenging work, Charles Addison's The History of the Knights Templar traces the rise and fall of this legendary religious-military organization. Addison was an official member of the Templar Inner Table when he composed his definitive study. This newly edited 2018 edition from The Templar Press updates some of Addison's more archaic wording into modern English.
Download or read book The Templars written by Barbara Frale and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Barbara Frale gives us an explosive, exhaustively researched history of the medieval world’s most powerful military order, the Templars. At its height, the Order of the Knights Templar rivaled the kingdoms of Europe in military might, economic power, and political influence. For 700 years, the tragic demise of this society of warrior-monks amid accusations of heresy has been plagued by controversy, in part because the transcript of their trial by the Inquisition—which held the key to the truth—had vanished. Templar historian Barbara Frale happened to be studying a document at the Vatican Secret Archives when she suddenly realized that it was none other than the long-lost transcript! It revealed that Pope Clement V had absolved the order of all charges of heresy. The Templars chronicles the spectacular rise and fall of the organization against a sweeping backdrop of war, religious fervor, and the struggle for dominance, and finally lifts the centuries-old cloak of mystery surrounding one of the world’s most intriguing secret societies.
Download or read book The Knights Templar written by Stephen Howarth and published by Barnes & Noble Publishing. This book was released on 1991 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The age of the Crusades encompassed the rise and fall of a singular Order of fighting men, equally devoted to God, war and the defense of Palestine. After the Crusades the Templars obeyed no one except the Pope and acquired land and castles by gift, conquest and purchase, becoming a church within the Church. They were bankers, merchants, diplomats and tax gatherers, and though they themselves were poor, the wealth of their Order was legendary. As the nation states arose the Templars were accused of heresy, treachery, sodomy, usury, blasphemy and idolatry. The author assesses the faults and fine qualities of the brotherhood, examining the reasons for its initial allure and eventual, ignominious obliteration.
Download or read book The Knights Templar at War 1120 1312 written by Paul Hill and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2018-01-30 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A look at the famed medieval Catholic order, with an emphasis on military history—includes numerous illustrations. There are many books about the Knights Templar, the medieval military order which played a key role in the crusades against the Muslims in the Holy Land, the Iberian peninsula, and elsewhere in Europe. What is seldom explored is the military context in which they operated. This book focuses on how this military order prosecuted its wars. The order was founded as a response to attacks on pilgrims in the Holy Land, and it was involved in countless battles and sieges, always at the forefront of crusading warfare. This absorbing study examines why they were such an important aspect of medieval warfare on the frontiers of Christendom for nearly two hundred years. The author shows how they were funded and supplied, how they organized their forces on campaign and on the battlefield, and the strategies and tactics they employed in the various theaters of warfare in which they fought. Templar leadership and command and control are examined, and sections cover their battles and campaigns, fortifications, and castles.
Download or read book Templar Inferno written by Sanford Holst and published by . This book was released on 2013-02-25 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Templars being burned at the stake inspired Dante to write his Inferno in the 1300s, and led to Dan Brown's new novel. Other recent discoveries reveal a deeper and richer story of the Templars, as told here through the lives of extraordinary people who lived during those times. The intriguing mysteries of the Templars are explored and some are resolved, including the source of Templar wealth and power overseen by green-robed clerics. The possible links to other groups such as Hospitallers and Masons are also explored. Attacked by kings and the Vatican in 1307, many of the surviving Templars refused to surrender and chose to live in secrecy. This act of disobedience began rebellious activities that hurried the fall of kings and the splitting of the Catholic Church. Recovered manuscripts and records now bring these people to life-their difficult choices, relationships, defeats and triumphs. These are real people, real events, and fascinating adventures among knights and ladies, combats and courts, younger sons and noble families.
