The Templars - by Michael Haag (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Arguably one of the most provocative, puzzling, and misunderstood organizations of medieval times, the legendary Knights Templar have always been shrouded in a veil of mystery, while inspiring popular culture from Indiana Jones to Dan Brown. In The Templars, author Michael Haag offers a definitive history of these loyal Christian soldiers of the Crusades--sworn to defend the Holy Land and Jerusalem, but ultimately damned and destroyed by the Pope and his church. A bestseller in the United Kingdom--the first history of the enigmatic warriors to include findings from the Chinon Parchment, the long-lost Vatican document absolving the Knights of heresy--The Templars by Michael Haag is fascinating reading.

From the Back Cover

The first history of the legendary knights since the Vatican momentously released the records of their trial and exoneration

Who were the Templars?
What was the secret of their wealth and power?
Why did the pope and the king of France act to destroy them?

The Knights Templar were founded on Christmas Day 1119, on the very spot in Jerusalem where Jesus Christ was crucified. A religious order of fighting knights, the Templars defended the Holy Land and 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--until they were condemned for heresy two centuries after their foundation, when the order was abolished and its leaders were burned at the stake.

In The Templars, renowned historian Michael Haag investigates the origins and history, the enduring myths, and the soaring architecture of an enigmatic order long shrouded in mystery and controversy. The hand of the Templars, many believe, can be found in everything from Cathar heresy to Masonic conspiracies, and the Knights Templar still inspire popular culture, from Indiana Jones to Xbox games, to the novels of Dan Brown.

Review Quotes

"Michael Haag, in his well-knit narrative, gets through an enormous spread of history." - Daily Telegraph

"Haag sifts through the history and the legends to illuminate these mysterious Holy Warriors. . . . Readers of The Da Vinci Code and other fictions relating to the Templars will enjoy this well-written, copiously illustrated, and solidly researched book. Highly recommended." - Library Journal

"Luckily Michael Haag is here to put the record straight. . . . In his admirably comprehensive and balanced book, Michael Haag begins thousands of years before with the birth of Judaism and brings the story right up to date with a letter from Pope Clement V discovered in the Vatican in 2001 which proves the order was (secretly) exonerated in 1308." - Birmingham Evening Mail

"Here at long last is a history of the Knights Templar--and their secrets--that you can believe in." - The Scotsman