The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors Paperback – September 18, 2018

The Templars. A group of knights known more through fiction and myth than through fact and reality. In THE TEMPLARS, Dan Jones does an excellent job of sifting through the legends and presenting the Templars as they actually were, good, bad, and indifferent. Jones faces the fictions and myths with verifiable facts, and presents the Templars as they actually were. Because of the volume of data Jones uses and the detail he goes into, THE TEMPLARS is, at times, a bit tedious. This is something difficult to avoid in a history as well documented as THE TEMPLARS. If you are interested in the reality of the subject, it’s a price well worth paying for an exceptionally good historical account of a much maligned group of crusaders.

This is a review of the Kindle version of this book.I read a lot of medieval history and in this pursuit I've also read my fair share of books by Dan Jones. I have generally enjoyed the books written by Dan Jones and wouldn't have bought this one if I hadn't.The Templars were an order of knights formed in 1118 and disbanded in 1214 when the last master was executed. In this book Dan JOnes attempts to cover the whole sweep of this history across Europe and the middle east. Given the huge sweep of this book the narrative style used by Dan Jones should have made this a very readable book. Unfortunalely given the scope of the subject I don't think a single book, however well written would work perfectly. Inevitably the book gets bogged down in the history of the crusades and it becomes a list of people and batlles. The sweep of the history doesn't come through and the European events are rather downplayed until the very end. This is meticulously researched and perhaps the fact that the research shatters one's preconceptions is part of why I'm not giving this five stars. It did become a bit of a slog to read through though. Never tedious but the style and content didn't quite match. The final chapter (epilogue) on the Templar's legacy in popular culture was also brief and uninspiring.I did enjoy this book and learned a lot about the crusades and fall of the Templars. You have to really want to read this book though unlike Jones's other works on the Plantagenets (for example). So this was an interesting book but not one I'd recommend for the casual reader. If you want a gateway to Templar history this is a great start but it's not for everyone.

Dan Jones continues his trend of offering a sweeping history at a glance. Much like his previous books he covers an wide range of history relatively briefly, yet does not lose either the human interest or the sweeping narrative. His books tend to be overviews inviting further study. That is not to say they lack insight, depth, or research. Quite the contrary. Jones's unique talents allow him to explore centuries within a few hundred pages in an insightful way. The Templars exemplifies this. He covers the order from birth to eventual demise, deconstructing why they were needed and how they rose to prominence. He continues into their hubris and the ways in which the world, particularly rulers, could not allow such a powerful group to continue. The book contains numerous photos, maps, and first hand accounts from the times that help make for a wonderful read. It is highly accessible and thoroughly fascinating. If you know nothing of the Templars except what you have seen in movies or read in popular fiction, Jones offers up a delightful dose of reality that is no less fascinating than the myths surrounding this famed group.

History is never as engaging, entertaining and honest as this writer brings it to you. A fascinating read, page by page. 4 thumbs way up!

I have been reading many books about the Templars. Their story is truly fascinating, and this book gives so much background about how they came to be. It covers everything from their beginnings, to the major battles of the Crusades they fought. The chapter on Richard the Lion Heart and the Third Crusade is priceless. The arrests, trials and machinations of Philip IV tell the tale of what lengths he went to in order to seize their property and destroy them. Jones also goes into the years since their disbanding, and the various theories of where they went after 1307. He makes some very plausible arguments that are enlightening to western culture. The writing is excellent and keeps you as engaged as a novel. I highly recommend this book as a starting point for learning about these fascinating men who continue to inspire us.

Speedy delivery and good condition

I bought this book after reading Crusaders thinking I'd get more of a look into the Templar. Crusaders did skim briefly on the Templar but didn't go into really any depth, so I bought this book hoping to learn quite a bit more. Unfortunately almost half the book is almost a repeat of Crusaders. Had you not read Crusaders, you almost wouldn't know how the Templar got started if you read this book.The most disappointing part of the book is definitely bulk of the middle. If you read Crusaders, you could essentially skip 50% of this book all of which is the middle. However, the one redeemable part of this book is definitely the end of the Templars. Where Crusaders doesn't touch on this at all, Templars goes into quite a bit of depth on the day to day downfall of the Templar. This section of the book caught regained my interest and I'm glad I chose to finish the book despite the lull.Overall, read it if you haven't read Crusaders but maybe stay away if you have read Crusaders and have only a slight interest in the history of the Templar.

So far, I am enjoying this book very much. The only suggestion I would have for the author is that it would be beneficial to all if the history of the Holy land prior to Arab and Turkic conquests were covered. Many books about the Crusades leave people thinking that Christendom was not justified in defending itself by retaliating against a foreign religion and ethnic groups which invaded Europe hundreds of times prior to the first Crusade. However, I cannot say that I am surprised because the invasion is still happening today.... Whether legal, or not. If the author did portray this fact, then he may make himself a target of Islamic extremists. It is way safer and cheaper to not need personal security guards everywhere one goes in public locations. So I understand the reason for "half-truths" in this regard. That being said, I very much admire all perspectives of history... even the ones our elites wish we did not know. 😉

Like the history of the knights

Det som var bäst med boken var redogörelsen av processen mot orden i början på 1300-talet. Bakgrunden till det som skedde då skulle ha kunnat vara mer utförlig. Men författaren skildrar ändå ordens historia från grundandet till undergången på ett bra sätt, det skulle bara ha varit mer detaljerat så att man hade fått mer grepp om hur den enskilde ordensmedlemmen fungerade i orden, såväl i krig som i fred.

Me ha gustado porque cuenta la historia tal y como sucedió. Yo tenía una idea más “fantástica “ y me alegro de conocer la verdad. Lo recomiendo. No pongo 5 estrellas porque el papel es simple, reciclado y la letra un poco pequeña . Pero se lee bien yasí he podido subrayar, añadir notas etc…

Beaucoup de sérieux sur cette histoire des templiers .Bonne vue sur les croisades.