Dungeon, Fire, and Sword: The Knights Templar in the Crusades »

One of the most magnificent books... putting it down is almost impossible. --Ocala Star-Banner

Library Journal

Founded in 1119 shortly after the first crusade to defend those areas of the Holy Land conquered from the Muslims, the Poor Knights of the Temple, or Knights Templars, were a manifestation of the new zealous piety of the 12th century. Their name derives from the site, supposedly near Solomon's temple, given them by Baldwin, king of Jerusalem; the Templars' lifestyle, combining the anti-Muslim and quasi-monastic ideals of the day, brought them respect and enormous wealth in the 12th century. By the late 13th century, however, Europeans' loss of the Holy Land undermined the Templars' prestige at the moment when King Philip IV of France coveted their wealth, and he had them suppressed. Based entirely on secondary sources, many of them dated, rife with inaccurate and misleading information, this is not a sound treatment of either the crusades or the Templars. The general reader for whom the book is intended will learn more from Karen Armstrong's Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today's World ( LJ 2/15/91). Not recommended.-- Bennett D. Hill, Georgetown Univ., Washington, D.C.