Tales of the Knights Templar

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining flight of fancy.
Review: Not a bad collection of fiction, with a decent bit of historic overview by Kurtz. While not a serious piece of historical fiction, it is an entertaining escape for those with Templar interests.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre collection of short stories
Review: The stories collected in this book offer the promise of exciting stories dealing with the Knights Templar, a topic that begs to be handled intelligently in fiction format. What the reader gets instead are weak 20-30 page stories that offer absolutely nothing for the reader that may intrigue, educate or even entertain. The authors who contributed seem to be accomplished writers in their own right, but that is not evident with these stories. Some are poorly written (such as "The City of Brass") and others deal with the topic of the Templars in ridiculous ways. One thing that really bothered me was the addition of Kurtz's short story that takes place within the story of her own series of books! Basically, I would have to read her books to make even the slightest sense of the short story. Very poorly thought out. The best thing about this collection (and the only reason I gave it two stars) were the Interludes between stories, which offered up some basic info on the Knights. Definately not worth buying this book for, though.

Rating:
Summary: A good read
Review: The stories in this collection captured the feel of the Templars. If you're looking for a serious, scholarly work about the Order's history, don't bother. On the other hand, if you love tales of Chivalry built upon a foundation of Templar myth, this is an excellent collection.

Rating:
Summary: Pathetic
Review: The worst pile of contrived drivel I've ever read. The stories have little, if anything to do with the Knights Templar. Most take place in the present, or in "alternate realities." Kurtz even has the audacity to plug another of her books WITHIN the pages of this one. Third- and fourth-rate stories by authors out for a quick buck.

If you still want to read it, you can have mine. Please don't waste money on it. Wish I could give it zero stars.

Rating:
Summary: Tales of Pure Knights
Review: This is my favorite single volume on the subject of the Knights Templar. I think it is my favorite because of the way it combines both fact and myth in an a blend that comes across exactly right. The introduction,as well as, the "interludes" between stories, are an excellent, readable history of the order, while the stories themselves cover the mythology and legend from many differing perspectives- from the founding of the order, to the present day, to the far future.

You get an good overall sense of what the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon (later, the Knights of the Temple) were really all about. These were men from all over Christiandom (and perhaps beyond) who were pledged to protect pilgrims and holy places with their lives and honor. The took a vow of absolute poverty- individual knights owned nothing. Any wealth the order amassed was put to the purpose of the protection of pilgrims- and later, all of the Christiandom. A measure of their success at fulfilling their original purpose lies in the fact that, from humble pilgrims to kings, all knew that they could trust their lives, as well as, their last penny to the Templars. Even the infidels knew that Templars were honorable men, for they neither asked for, nor accepted ransom, nor would they retreat in battle (unless out-numbered by at least three-to-one, and even then only under direct orders.) It is said that even the famed Assassins feared and payed tribute to the Templars.

Of all the fictional stories in this collection, I would have to say that my favorite is "Choices" by Richard J. Woods. This tale gives the best sense of the overall character of individual Templars and the order. It also links the German mystic Meister Eckhart sympathetically with their tradition.

If you have a more esoteric inclination, it is also pointed out that the rule of seventy-two articles granted to the order was based at least partially upon the Essene Rule of the Master of Justice. Also, it is pointed out that the name of the idol that Templars supposedly worshiped (Baphomet) is actually a code for Sophia (Holy Wisdom.) It seems that tht Templars were "lovers of Sophia", i.e. "philosophers." Finally, it is pointed out that in certain traditions the order lives on- as astral knights with a "mandate to protect the weak, right wrongs, restore what was lost, make whole the broken." Afterall, there is a reason that Wolfram von Eschenbach portrayed the Grail Knights as Templars....