The Knights Templar : A New History

Rating:
Summary: HISTORY, NOT STORIES
Review: Fortunately, among the incredible amount of books dedicated to the subject of the Knights Templar there are some of them which deal with the real history of this military and religious order running away from the astonishing nonsenses that have soiled it like holy bloodlines, Christ's identity and nature, fantastic secrets of ancient cultures, religious deviations, freemasonry, and all those absurdities.

Helen Nicholson's book deals principally with the life and grewth of the order, including some countries or European regions that have been left aside by other authors in the past due to the lack of documentation. Here is one of the merits of her book. But she also dedicates a place to the Templar sisters, who indeed existed, no matter what the Templar rule says, and that have been ignored until now in despite of the existing documentation.


Rating:
Summary: The Knights Templar: A New History
Review: I would endorse this book to anyone who wishes to the facts about the Knights Templar without having to wade through a lot of foggy mysticism and conspiracy theory. It gives a much truer picture of what the Templars were, what made them tick, and what life was like for them. So I believe, anyway, having researched the Order for some years myself.

The author is a worthy historian and a leading expert in the field. It is quite right that she based her conclusion on the evidence, rather than what she thought would make a good story and wild speculation. She also covers some interesting and hiterto neglected aspects of the Order of the Temple's history, such as its presence in Eastern Europe where they encountered the invading Mongols. It is engagingly written, for the most part, not too long, and does not go into excessively great detail.

There are, additionally, many great photographs of Templar buildings from throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Rating:
Summary: templars no mystery and no charms
Review: This book is strictly based on historical sources. However, the history of the templars results to be more less charming and mysterious as ever. Nicholson cancels all doubts but all beautiful elements of the texture as well. Her historical method is too rationalistic, and it doesn't give room to mystical or philosophical hypoteses. There are only some hints at baphomet and at the so-called "islamic" components of the tenets of Templars. Even though it is well documented, it represents a very harsh or arid reading.