The Last Mass of the Knights Templars

Rating:
Summary: This well-meraning book is a mess and a waste of money
Review: Despite the large ad in the NYTimes, this book disappointed me grievously. It seems written by a high-schooler for high-schoolers: Limp, fuzzy prose; foggy history. A key name spelled variously; a century wrongly named; Avignon moved to northern France. A mess! I think the publisher is one of those self-publishing outfits. I should have been on my guard.

Rating:
Summary: Truely an exciting yarn that will thrill and haunt you..
Review: I am pleased to have my book listed with Amazon.com and hope that everyone reading this book will enjoy it as much as I experienced writing it.

I have discovered in researching the Knights Templars that is has widened my knowledge and deepened my appreciation of historical events surrounding the Knights of the Middle Ages.

It has enabled me to understand better the contradictory reports of historians who have written about this subject with very different perspectives concerning the knights.

The one thing that everyone seems to agree upon is that King Philip the Fair of France needed money and sought to get it from the Knights Templars, even at the expense of duping a pope into silence and submission while he went about the job of destroying and banishing them.

These facts are what stimulated my imagination into creating the good and bad characters that enacted a possible scenario which might bring a semblance of peace to the end of the original order of the Knights Templars.

Does hidden gold from the twelfth century lie buried somewhere in Europe? Will Lyle Longsworth uncover the secrets or will sinister forces stop him?

Lyle, a college professor at a Benedictine College receives an old manuscript from his professor friend Beb Sulley in Paris and embarks on one of the most hair raising adventures across Europe in search of the Templar Gold. An international art thief becomes involved with the search and tries to interrupt the progress, but Lyle's determination prevails.

My story clings to actual occurances in history and is embelished by the performance of the characters. This is when, in actuality, we find that 12 Knights escaped from Paris in the year 1310 with a cart loaded with gold. King Philip had issued a decree that all Templars be arrested and that their wealth be confiscated. What a character he must have been!!

Armed only with a map, a desire and God's blessing, Lyle, Marie, Bill, and Oliver begin a trek across Europe in search of the lost treasure. Their quest is almost brought to a halt as they get caught in a blizzard while crossing the Pyrenees and they know that they are just moments away from getting caught by their arch enemy, Gerard, who is plotting to destroy them. As time passes, Lyle begins to literally experience the glory and the despair that the Knights experienced, especially when they were betrayed by King Phillip and Pope Clement V.

The story provides glimpes into the past so that a greater understanding is obtained about the Order and the Church, and then strives to give the reader a plausible explanation as to what likely occurred at that time.

History will come alive as you read of Lyle's adventure and perhaps even your heart will be touched by the climax of this story when Templar ghosts from the past mingle with the characters of the present in the Last Mass that is conducted in their honor at the Church of Santa Maria on the northern coast of Spain.

I hope that you enjoy this book

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: I enjoyed The Last Mass of the Knights Templars a great deal. I have done some reading about this period since I find it interesting. The history in this novel seems accurate. Likewise, the history and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church are appropriate. I learned history, plus found the author's view of the motivations and emotions of the principal historical characters fascinating. Finally, it is simply an entertaining story.

Rating:
Summary: Good story of the church and knights
Review: I thought the book was very well reserched. Along with the historical information on the Templar Knights, a winsome group of present day Crusaders set out on the Adventure of a lifetime. I think the blending of Church history and knighthood with historical events provides a beautiful backdrop for a superbly written story. I found the story very interesting and informative, especially in regards to the Templar Knights.

Rating:
Summary: Good story of the church and knights
Review: I thought the book was very well reserched. Along with the historical information on the Templar Knights, a winsome group of present day Crusaders set out on the Adventure of a lifetime. I think the blending of Church history and knighthood with historical events provides a beautiful backdrop for a superbly written story. I found the story very interesting and informative, especially in regards to the Templar Knights.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: What a great add in the N.Y. Times! Now, if only the book lived up to the hype. The story has great promise, and the research is great. The last book I read that was written in this style, started of with "See Spot run". I hope if Ms. Long ever writes another book, it will be written for adults. You really have to want to read this book to wade through its poor prose.

Rating:
Summary: The Last Mass of the Knights Templars
Review: What a great add in the N.Y. Times! Now, if only the book lived up to the hype. The story has great promise, and the research is great. The last book I read that was written in this style, started of with "See Spot run". I hope if Ms. Long ever writes another book, it will be written for adults. You really have to want to read this book to wade through its poor prose.