Rating: 
Summary: Not a bad read
Review: After reading an amazing treasure hunting memoir called "The Bamboo Chest: An Adventure in Healing the Trauma of War" about a kid who snuck into Vietnam and spent 11 months in a political prison as the result of photographing a Brit after Captain Kidd's on an island off the west coast of Vietnam that was actually called "Grand Pirate Island", I thought I'd check this book out. Okay read, but if you really want to get into the heat of it, check out "The Bamboo Chest" by Cork Graham, that's a book that I couldn't put down!
Maybe it's just that I've got bored with treasure hunters who seem to just do most of their hunting in libraries and don't have anymore risk than the expense of a trip to Canada or Carribean. And now after reading "The Bamboo Chest" and reading how Oak Island was thought to be one of treasure maps wrongly noted as off Canada and not off the Gulf coast of Vietnam, I've got lots to think about when I read about pirate treasure and those who hunt from an armchair and those get shot at and put in prison for a year a more!
Rating: 
Summary: the real deal
Review: I have been following this story for a lifetime and this well researched theory is right on. No one else comes close to finding a culprit with means motive and the treasure to bury deep on Oak Island. An original idea and excellant documentation.
Rating: 
Summary: Mildly amusing
Review: The author has clearly done a great deal of research (the text is positively riddled with bibliographic references) in producing this book. Unfortunately, a great deal of the "information" presented has tenuous and often tedious connections to Oak Island. He takes a somewhat scientific approach to the mystery in the early going, but, sadly, meanders off into an lesson in medival European history. The fact that this was a particularly interesting period of time will probably keep the reader from shelving this book when one-third completed. He uses Erich Von Daniken-esque conjecture for "proving" his theorys: e.g. "They found this or saw that, so this MUST have been how and why they did it..." Some might call these conjectures bold, and, to be fair, they were at times mildly amusing. He further alienated myself by making false accusations against the succesors to the Knights Templar: The Freemasons. So much has been written on the "behind the scenes doings and goings-on of the Freemasons" that even the most burned-out Hollywood hack would be embarassed to broach the subject. If you really wish to read about the Knights Templar, acquire John Robinson's numerous books on the subject. These provide far more insightful views on the topic.
Rating:
Summary: Way Too Much History
Review: The book started off good but if anyone was to read any of the other books out on the market about the Templars this book is just a re-hash of those. If this is one of the first I read about how the Templars came to be I would have enjoyed but seeing that this is one of many that I have read I found it to be lacking in new substance.
I believe that there is a treasure on Oak Island and I think that what people have been finding is a ship that grounded and it was left in quick sand only to sink to its present level. That is why various non-native things have been taken out of the pit.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun reading
Review: The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar is a fascinating book covering a wide variety of topics, ranging from the title topic - the Oak Island treasure - to ancient Viking history, authenticity of Shakespeare's authorship, and the family line of Christ. Sora's main interest in this book is whether or not the Templars, made so popular recently by Dan Brown's "Davinci Code," are responsible for the mysterious pit on Oak Island in Nova Scotia. This is a very fascinating topic and book, presenting an extraordinarily detailed history of the pit's excavation and an even closer look at the possible explanations for its existence. The explanation Sora chooses to focus on for the majority of the book, obviously, is the Templars. In doing so he presents an intriguing look at this secret society's beginning's, the historical climate surrounding its beginning's, and then follows it through the ages to the present day. My only criticism is also a praise - the book tends to diverge in seemingly random directions, and you're never quite sure where Sora is going with it. However, if you find this kind of random minutia interesting, as I do, then it also allows Sora to cover an even wider range of topics on a deep level. If you find a mysterious, unreachable treasure on an unlikely island, and an ultra-secret society that has lasted for thousands of years to be interesting topics, then I recommend this book. Be aware, however, that it is quite dense at times with a detailed historical presentation of little-known topics (like the Vikings, esoteric Scottish leaders and families, etc.) - but this may be its strongest point.
Rating:
Summary: Good View of the Mystery and interesting Facts
Review: This book goes into great detail on the History of The Knights Templar, and several prominant figures of many Religious Organizations. It tells a great story, from once perspective.
If you are looking for a good compare and contrast, and links from one theory to another, this book is not it. It digs deep into the history of religion and matters of devotion, secracy and faith. But, lacks the objective standpoint of the sceptic. Some think this theory of Oak Island is 100% truth and the only possibility. They would find this a Five Star read. There are those who are looking for information on the Knights' Templar and theier exploits through the ages. They would also find this a Five Star read. Then there are people who want to see points of view and theories displayed in a format to be compared and contrasted against each other. They would NOT find this a Five Star read.
It's a singular vision, with tons and tons of backstory, and captivating dialog, and a timeline that is accurate and intriguing. But, it does have a tendancy to scoff at any other ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Tighten Your Seat Belt for This Ride!
Review: This book has everything you could want in a great novel: Vikings, Christians, Jews, Romans, Visigoths and Scots. That's right, Scots! Now when was the last time you read a good book on Scottish history! This is a good read and you will enjoy it. If you wind up believing what is in here you will begin to realize that almost everyone of note in history was a Mason, Freemason, whatever. If you don't believe the oh-too-fast transitions then you will laugh out loud. But whatever your leanings are you are going to enjoy yourself. The basic premise of this book is that Scottish decedents of Jesus are responsible for the amazing engineering that does exit on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. In it is contained the stupefying treasure of the Knights Templar, an outlawed religious order that dates back to the time of the crusades. That no one knows what comprises this treasure is not an issue. Nor should it be, that would ruin the fun. Oak Island has so far defied any and all comers who want to discover its secrets from Franklin Delano Roosevelt on down. Read this book. It is wild supposition, a line of reasoning that is both intriguing and thought provoking.
Rating: 
Summary: Only for those of faith
Review: This book is for those who, happy in their ignorance of history and unable to recognise false reasoning, confuse fiction for fact and falsehood for truth. Almost nothing is certain about Oak Island, which makes a perfect setting for fanciful tales. There is no reliable evidence that Templar Knights visited North America and none whatsoever of them on Oak Island. Into this vacuum jumps Steven Sora.
The history of Oak Island treasure hunt begins in 1795 with the finding of a ship's block and tackle. Made largely of wood and rope, this would have decomposed within a few years. Assuming that the 'Money Pit' is not a natural feature (and it may well be), then the existence of the block and tackle dates its origin within a few decades of its discovery.
Whether one believes (and there is no reason to) that the Knights Templar galleys left La Rochelle for Oak Island in 1307, or started from Scotland in 1398, does anyone seriously believe that the block and tackle survived the extreme climate of Nova Scotia for hundreds of years? Believe that and one believes anything. Which is exactly what this book relies on: unlimited credulity and ignorance.
Rating:
Summary: Way Too Much History
Review: This book is mostly history, mainly European history. While parts are very interesting, I got very bored with page after page of dates and names and just skimmed through the middle section.
Rating:
Summary: HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND SEVERAL PARTS OF THE STORY!!
Review: This book is the one if you want to understand several parts of the story; Jerusalem, Visigoths and Rennes le Chateau, Roslin and the Templars, Viking travels and Oak Island and Nova Scotia. Treasure Island may have more truth to it than we realized!!! Very good detail on possible other "side" organizations around the Priory of Sion, and which families and people were all descended from these key "secrets"!!! Very worth the read for a broader overview than some books on the subject matter!!! And yet, more detail on who was involved in what than many other books I've perused on this subject in the last few years!
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