The Knights Templar & Their Myth » (REV)

Peter Partner, Ph.D. is the author of several books and articles on medieval and Renaissance history. He has worked as a journalist in Italy, the Middle East, and North Africa, and has taught at Winchester College (England) since 1955.

This widely praised study of the rise and fall of the Knights Templar examines the history of the Templars and the beliefs that have developed around them. From the tangled traditions of occultism and chivalry, to the intrigue of political conspiracy, governmental greed and papal corruption, the author shows how a medieval act of political injustice grew into a modern fantasy.

The Book Reader

"A systematic examination of the Knights Templar around whom such great magical myths have arisen... Partner has created a rational, terrifying picture of the barbaric times when popes were cruel and kings killed with impunity...Excellent work."

Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction

Part 1: The Templars
1. The Origins and Functions of the Templars
2. Criticism and Alienation
3. Magic, Heresy, and Conspiracy
4. The Trial

Part 2: The Myth
5. The Making of the Myth
6. The Secret Societies
7. The Romantic Dream
8. The Politics of the Marvelous

Notes Bibliography of Works Cited Index