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Title: The New Knighthood : A History of the Order of the Temple by Malcolm Barber ISBN: 0-521-55872-7 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 28 September, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.11 (9 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Full of facts but too scholarly for
Comment: This book is a good source of information for the serious student. If you have a good knowledge of medieval and crusade history then this book will trace the order of the Templars through all the political, military and ideological contexts that the order existed in. It will provide you with sources and chronologies and will explain what the Templars did, why they were such an important force and how exactly they were able to achieve what they achieved.
If you're not familliar with the background, like me, you'll probably find this a hard read. The book reads like a textbook, peppered with footnotes, dates and places which obfuscate if they're totally unfamilliar. For me, it felt like much of the text was going in one ear and out the other.
The book's chapters fall into two categories. The first half is more chronological referring to the history of the Templars. The second half is more topical, to do with aspects of Templar life (their network, social structure and beliefs), as well as a description of the Templars in the popular imagination. For someone being introduced to the Templars, the second half will be much more interesting and accessible. For history buffs, the first half will be very informative.
If you're looking for a detailed, scholarly account, this is the book. If you're a layman seeking an introduction, go elsewhere.
Rating: 5
Summary: The definitive Templar book
Comment: I have not yet read the new Templar history by Helen Nicholson, but until I do this book stands as the best one ever written about the Knights Templar. I have written quite a bit about them myself (they were the topic of my honors thesis at Cornell University) and so have read about every relevant source on them.
"The New Knighthood" is clear, well-written, and very well-researched, covering the inception of the Order in 1119 to its suppression in 1307. Barber sticks to the best historical sources and covers the topic from head to toe, a much needed historical overhaul for the Templars, in my opinion, because their name has become so ridiculously intertwined with myths and legends of all sorts that the actual history of the Order is often completely obscured. This is sad given their enormous importance in the Holy Land during the crusader period and the innumerable legitimate questions we might investigate concerning them.
A warning to would-be delvers into supernatural research: There is a chapter that covers the "mysterious" rumors surrounding the Order in this book, but it is based in sources accepted by the scholarly world as legitimate, i.e., you won't find much here to support theories of secret treasure, devil-worship, the guardianship of the holy grail, etc. Don't scoff at that: scholars have painstakingly researched the origins of all the sources that come to light. They of all people should know what is close to fact and what is not, certainly more than many of these low-rent, legend-peddling hucksters that have written about the Templars over the past thirty years. The interest of the scholar and professor is to inform you, the interest of many of these other writers is to cash in on curiosity about "secret societies" and make a quick buck at your expense. When looking for a book on the Templars, pay attention to the pedigree of the author-- what do they do/ What's their education?
If you're really interested in the history of the Order, this book is one of the very, very few worth buying.
Rating: 5
Summary: Absolutely wonderful!
Comment: This is an absolutely wonderful book for anyone at all interested in The Templars. This is a full and original work of research that covers every detail you can imagine about The Templars. If I must chose something that detracts from the over all feeling of the book is the chapter called The Templar Network as this is a rather dry account of the manors and so on throughout the Continent and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. If you do chose to read this book I would recomment skipping most of the chapter mentioned above until Barber starts talking about the Templar network as a reliable bank for kings and popes alike. I highly recommend this book!
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Title: The Trial of the Templars by Malcolm Barber ISBN: 0521457270 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 30 July, 1993 List Price(USD): $19.00 |
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Title: The Templars and the Grail: Knights of the Quest by Karen Ralls ISBN: 0835608077 Publisher: Quest Books Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: The Perfect Heresy: The Revolutionary Life and Death of the Medieval Cathars by Stephen O'Shea ISBN: 0802776175 Publisher: Walker & Co Pub. Date: August, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, Henry Lincoln ISBN: 0440136482 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 15 January, 1983 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Monks of War: The Military Religious Orders by Desmond Seward, Deomond Seward ISBN: 0140195017 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: March, 1996 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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