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The Templars: The History and the Myth: From Solomon's Temple to the Freemasons Paperback – Illustrated, September 8, 2009

by Michael Haag (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,089 ratings
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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 Haagis fascinating reading.

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  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 8, 2009
  4. Dimensions
    1.2 x 6 x 7.9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0061775932
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0061775932
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“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

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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Paperbacks; Illustrated edition (September 8, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061775932
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061775932
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.2 x 6 x 7.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,089 ratings

About the author

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Michael Haag

Michael Haag

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Michael Haag, who lives in London, is a writer, historian and biographer. He has written widely on the Egyptian, Classical and Medieval worlds; and on the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

For more information visit his website at: www.michaelhaag.com

And his blog at: http://michaelhaag.blogspot.com

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,089 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Scout Man
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read and explains a lot of history
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024
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This book explores the era around the Crusades. Easy read and very informative. Shared with several of my friends.
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Dr. B. Wisnubroto
4.0 out of 5 stars A total history of the crusades
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2010
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This book gives a very good narration about the history of The Crusades fron the First Crusade to the 13th. The explanation about the crusades, from the causes, the principal actors etc is very comprehensive but written in an easy to understand style. On the other hand, the history about The Templars is also written comprehensively, but only fills about 30 - 40 % of the book's content, so most of this book's contents is more about the history of The Crusades.
Whatever, after reading this book, I have reached the conclusion that what has been popularly written or filmed about The Templars by authors such as Dan Brown etc, is more myth or fiction than historical facts.
At the end of the book Michael Haag also gives a list of other books, films, videos currently on the market about the Templars, so the reader can delve deeper about the subject or just find other material for comparison.
Anyway, Micael Haag's book provides good reading and is a must for history buffs.
53 people found this helpful
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Rob Hardy
5.0 out of 5 stars Templar Fact, Templar Legend, Templar Paranoia
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2008
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"If you'll allow me," says a conspiracy-inciting character in Umberto Eco's novel _Foucault's Pendulum_, "I'll add a fundamental axiom: The Templars have something to do with everything." They certainly have something to do with popular books and movies. It didn't start with _The Da Vinci Code_; the Templar knights play a role in _Ivanhoe_. They are the origin of the ornament so earnestly sought in _The Maltese Falcon_. They are reputed to be involved in every secret organization from the Masons to the New World Order promoted by the Skull and Bones at Yale. It's a stretch to imagine that Crusader knights, disbanded in 1312, would still be exerting their mystic influence, but plenty of people are ready to make that stretch. They aren't the sort to read _The Templars: History and Myth_ (Profile Books), a wide-ranging, fact-filled, and lively account by Michael Haag, but this history provides enough stuff to wonder at. There are wonders within the history of the Templars, to be sure, and mysteries about how they came to be destroyed and then came to be deployed as a cornerstone of the world's conspiracy theories. Haag, who has written a guide to _The Da Vinci Code_, as well as serious classical and medieval histories, handles the confusion of the time of the Crusades with particular clarity, but it has to be said he doesn't clear all the Templar mysteries away; there are too many of them, from a time that lacks documentation, and we can count on conspiracy theorists to continue to fill in the blanks.

Pilgrims going to the Holy Land were more-or-less safe in the cities, but not on the roads between. When Hugh of Paynes, a knight from Champagne, proposed that the knights form a contemplative, monastic order in the region, King Baldwin II of Jerusalem proposed instead that the knights take their vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, but also retain their weapons to defend pilgrims against brigands and rapists. The first vows were taken in 1119, and headquarters were on Temple Mount in Jerusalem (hence Templars). Beside the troops needed to support knights and horses in the field, there were plenty of administrators for the enormous donations the Templars received. The Templars established financial networks everywhere there were Christians, and became hugely wealthy. With the failure of the Crusades, the Templars became a target for resentment. There were also those who resented, or coveted, their wealth. Chief among these were King Philip IV of France. With the loss of the Holy Land, Philip, who owed the order money, ordered the arrest of Templars in France. He took advantage of rumors about the scandalous secret initiation ceremony, and he tortured the knights to give false confessions and then burned them at the stake. He pressured Pope Clement V to disband the Templars, and Clement did so in 1312. The Pope, however, had cleared them of heresy charges; this was discovered when a document from the times turned up in the Vatican archives only in 2005. Clement's decision, however, did not become broadly known, and Philip continued to persecute Templars and take their possessions. The abrupt removal of a powerful military and economic force from Europe, and the lack of archival documentation about the Templars and their heresy charge, meant that they were to be a fanciful explanation for events long after they had been disbanded.

Templar enthusiasts maintain a lot of contradictory claims. Templars, some say, were the first Europeans to get to America. Templars had possession of the Ark of the Covenant. They even had the Holy Grail, which only started as a legend in a book from the thirteenth century, having no previous history. They helped Robert the Bruce in his fourteenth-century battles against the British, although no one knew of this until Scottish Masons wrote up the romantic story in 1843. The Masons in general have been happy to draw on Templar lore. Thus the Templars weave themselves into many areas where conspiracy experts (or sensational novelists) see them plainly and where historians cannot find them. Haag's entertaining book is good on both the history (going back to David and Solomon) and on the many uses to which the Templar legend has been put in novels, films, and paranoia. You can even find here a website entirely devoted to Templar history, selling Templar shirts, hats, mugs, and teddy bears. And you can wonder just where those profits are going.
11 people found this helpful
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Bert Ouellette
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent research
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2023
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The best book on Templar history I've ever read. Michael Haag is an incredible scholar. Highly recommended.
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readerman
3.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2014
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The Templars is a truely great addition to any Templar-heads library. The best thing about the book is that almost every detail can be researched & corraborated on numerous levels. For anyone presuming to write about the "facts", this to me is the most important element.
Haag begins by going into quite an indepth study of religion, politics, geography & monarchical formation leading up to the formation of the Templars. And there a lot more. This foundation is extensive & some may find it exhaustive but I believe it's necessary to understand how we get to 25 December 1119 A.D. From there the book is highly detailed (Kindle users will wear out the Notes section) systematically formatted & chronologically explicite almost as if it were a day by day diary. Not much is wasted in the wording & themes that seem a little irrelevant soon come full circle without the reader having to slog thru 25 chapters before the point is made.
Haag takes us thru the evolution of the Templars quite easily, never straying off subject & making the reader mentally weary trying to figure out which path he's going down. You don't have to worry about leaving bread crumbs because Haag will lead you straight thru the concept he's trying to explain.
Each element of the Templars existence is examined equally, including a quite impressive section that details where the more "debatable" subjects are discussed such as the Shroud, Ark of the Covenent, Holy grail, etc. No, Haag doesn't reveal where the REAL anything is kept. That's for the conspiracy buffs & it's actually refereshing to see the author avoid diving into a pool of speculation simply to sell the product.
Haag's last section goes, again in great detail, into the aftermath of the Templar legacy, including where you can visit Templar ruins/castles, how many countries were affected & influenced by them, how the banking system of today was built on their business savvy & actual organizations that exist & function even today from Templar influence.
My only minor complaint is that Haag doesn't really go into great depth on the languages, communications, feelings, etc. of the Templars. In other words the real psyche of the individual people involved, of which there are many. I will assume this is very difficult to do for the modern author for obvious reason so I can't really fault Haag for that.
All in all, heavy reading but truely interesting enough that you won't really notice. The book will take you on a journey & leave you searching for more on arguably one of the most fascinating orders you'll ever come to know.
11 people found this helpful
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Rev Enoch Jedidiah
5.0 out of 5 stars Must have for history/Knighthood lovers
Reviewed in Canada on April 5, 2024
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Those who are either, Knights Templars, inspiring to become one, or those who just love their history, this book is a must have! Factually and informative. Also the price is a steal!!! Awesome book!
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Intrepid 67
5.0 out of 5 stars Good First Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2020
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I was in two minds after finishing this book. If you are familiar with the time periods covered you may find this book a little too simplistic. If you have a good working knowledge of, say, the medieval period this book will still be useful to you as it covers the Biblical to Byzantine period to explain how we arrived at the Crusader period. As all students of history know, all trees have roots. The authors knowledge of these earlier periods is somewhat lesser than the Medieval period and does not reflect the latest scholarship. However no less valid as what he wrote was still in vogue when I studied history at University. As we know, revisionism is rife and things may change again. For the medieval period, essentially what we are buying the book for, it is well written, even very funny in places, and insightful. I particularly liked his point on the Byzantines essentially viewing Islam as another branch of Christianity when they first came across it. Something that seems strange now with hindsight, but a point well made and something I had not considered before. This book is post Chinon document, so good for the end of the Templars. To some up, If you are new to this area or only wish to buy one Templar book, buy this one. Certainly worth five stars. If you have already read a lot of Malcolm Barber or Helen Nicholson pass this one over unless you didn't get the in depth Barber straight in your head! Still a very enjoyable read none the less.
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OrlandoCaro
5.0 out of 5 stars Le livre va bien plus loin que les Templiers
Reviewed in France on September 24, 2019
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La première grande partie du livre donne un portrait très complet de l'époque, avant et après Jésus : les Gnoses, la naissance de l'Islam, ce qui explique pourquoi Jérusalem fut disputée par les ultras des trois religions.
L'arrivée sur scène des Templiers - et des autres ordres de moines-soldats - devient alors presque naturelle.
La troisième partie traite des mythes autour des chevaliers du Temple et de la plupart de sociétés qui revendiquent un héritage… c'est la partie la plus faible du livre.
Ouvrage recommandé
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Ginevra
5.0 out of 5 stars Love the book
Reviewed in Italy on November 22, 2017
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This book is really well written. It's easy to ready even for a non specialistic approacher. The only negative thing is that there aren't foot notes.
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Alan
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
Reviewed in Spain on February 19, 2018
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Interesting read with a lot of valuable information about the Templars and their downfall. Many historical references and templar locations
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