[A Brief History of the Knights Templar] [By: Professor in Medieval History Helen Nicholson] [January, 2010]

by Helen J. Nicholson

Much has been written about the Knights Templar in recent years, most of it highly speculative and with no historical foundation. Helen Nicholson is a leading specialist in the history of this legendary medieval order and offers here a full account of the knights of the order of the Temple of Solomon, bringing the latest findings to a general audience.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion, Medieval, Historical, Medieval History, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good things
- admitting there are gaps in the historical information and why
- providing detailed information when possible
- the entirety of the last chapter regarding the trials of the Templars

Bad things
- repeating information
- going into details about an event only to state it may not have occurred that way, or at all, because of lack of evidence
- this history looks at the Templar’s existence to their trials. The conclusion discusses how we view the Templars since. I’d argue that a history of the Knights Templar should explore the organizations, art, literature and events that use the myth or reality of the Templars.
- a chronological telling of the Templars would have made this easier to read. Jumping from place to place through different time periods to explore leaders, purpose or finance was flawed. A story told chronologically (foundation/early years/their apex, their decline/ their dissolution/ their legacy) would have incorporated these themes while providing a more compete story. The themes picked don’t exist in isolation.

[Edgarr Alien Pooh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic look at the Knights Templar to dispel the myths most of us believe. Forget any fiction Dan Brown sets - the Templar were boring in comparison. Equally victorious and defeated, exiled and tried as villains. Hardly a stunning history but so VERY important in the set up of what the Holy Land is today. A great insight - can be hard to follow at times so read only when you can concentrate

[Mel Bossa]

Can't really give this a rating as I have nothing to compare it to...But that will change. I've discovered yet another passion! I'll be reading more on the Templars in the next year. So, this book does what it's suppose to: get you interested or not in the subject. I wish the author would have given more attention to certain details (the Templars' trial, their myth, their way of life), but then again, this is an overview and the reader is encouraged to further reading.

[Stanislav Sokolenko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although detailed and filled with references, the overall didactic and repetitive style takes away from the book's enjoyment.

[Ryan Wootton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hard read. Jumps around a lot.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6 Stars

At times a dull and truly repetitive history, further-hampered by niggling typos, Nicholson's 'Brief History' book does seem to earnestly cover pretty much all the bases relating to the medieval religious military Templar Order (which was similar to, yet different from other religious military orders, such as the Knights Hospitallers and the Teutonic Knights), dissolving their mythos and giving the reader a more balanced and instructive view of this influential Order. While the Knights Templar didn't have magic powers or armour, they were quite the fascinating group. They were singularly-devoted to defending the Holy Land -- a nearly-impossible task which they failed at. They won some, they lost some; they had a killer cavalry charge; they were respected and hated warriors and military advisers; they developed an advanced financial system which led to them acting as bankers for various European rulers; they had cool castles and fortresses; they were all over Europe and also involved in fighting Muslims in Spain (though the East was their over-arching raison d'être); they were turned on by the French for unclear, intriguing, but fairly-obvious reasons; and they were only around for about 200 years, unlike the other major military orders. It's a testament to their allure that their legend has warped and lived on so, to the point of being the archetype for Templars in fantasy works and video games -- an allure that was picked up on by many an author in the hundreds of years since their general demise, all intrigued by the mysterious, tragic, zealot warrior monks of the Christian faith, who defended it against the Mamluk hordes to the last man, perhaps using occult magic or holy powers or somesuch in the process. The book is definitely worth a read (with some generous skimming) for various history and/or fantasy nerds.

Notes (Spoilers)

- The Templars were mostly ordinary folk from lower ranks. Generally uneducated, illiterate, and discouraged from pursuing education (which ended up being a major weakness, though may have initially been a strength)

- They wanted to fight and die as martyrs in the Holy Land if possible -- a warrior's death, not that dissimilar to Vikings and other older warrior societies

- The Virgin Mary was their protector and she was worshipped along with God/Jesus, which was later used against them

- They were very focused on money to fund their wars, and acted as bank managers and clerks fro the rich and powerful. They were very much a part of the establishment -- until they weren't. Even way back in the 1100s-1300s, much was about land, money, and economics... (pages 2-4)

-134-135: Quality of Orders, donations, gifts from God...

- Chapter 6: The Templars were reliant on secular rulers and the Pope for protection and support. This was a great strength, and also a fatal weakness, which forced them into conflicts of interest, made enemies and distracted them from their goal of defending the Holy Land, despite their genuinely-devout desire to do so.

- 209: Templars functioned as a bank (like the Jews of the time?)

- Kings had no standing fleets in the Middle Ages: ships were hired and owned by their captains (except Byzantium?) 216

- Acre fell in 1291. This was the Templar's greatest fortress in the Holy Land. From then on they were pretty much doomed, but they were still generally considered positively by Europeans.

- 1307: The Templars were quickly rounded up and arrested in France in a shocking development that astounded other European rulers

- Heresy: Used to exert religious, moral, and political control. Used by people against their enemies, etc. It was almost impossible to escape a heresy charge, and torture was used to get 'confessions', supplanting the earlier 'Trial by Ordeal'.

- Magic/Witchcraft: Taken seriously after the discovery of Ancient Greek/Arabic texts in Toledo in 1085. Not just old crone superstition any more.

- 237: Cool story of Muslims pissing on the cross. Christians had ignorant views of Muslims, and transferred them to the Templars. In reality, the Holy Land was very complicated politically and strategically, and Christians would sometimes ally with Muslims and against other Muslims or even Christians. The Byzantines had been playing this game for a long time for example.

- Most Templars were illiterate, but were accused of practicing magic by the Literati (court bureaucratic chiefs) who were literate.

- 256, 257...): Fascinating explanation of Philip IV's motivations, the situation in Europe etc. Philip had already arrested the Pope himself (a Pope preceding the Pope who condemned the Templars), why not the Pope's Templar order?

[Derek Vanstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall content:
The author is very good at searching primary sources to explain fact from fiction, myth, and legend to the reader. I learned a lot from this book.

Flow: I almost gave the book two stars because it’s simply all over the place. The author lists kings, but then would drop numbers like Henry IV which would be fine, but because they jumped all over the place was actually hard to follow.

Focus: the focus of the book was also all over the place. One moment the author would focus on kings supporting the templars, sometimes templars themselves, sometimes surrounding events, but there was not much consistency.

In general I do not recommend this book if you’re looking for an enjoyable read.

[James Horgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a companion volume to the author's book on the Knights Hospitaller. It has its origins in a course of lectures and this does show.

Perhaps because we know less about the Knights Templar, their records were destroyed when the Turks captured Cyprus, than the Hospitallers, the story is limited. Many myths have grown up about the Templars. Almost all are fabricated. As were the accusations brought against them in their trial, the motives for which are also obscure.

Pictures illustrate the text helpfully so that we can see the mark the Templars leave on our society in place names, ruins, castles and churches.

[Menno Beek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I understand Helen Nicholson wants to be taken serious as a scientist, and at the same time, this book was a lot less interesting then it could have been, because Nicholson takes that history as a science part of her job very serious. She's not into entertaining the well-educated somewhat older European citizen while explaining the exact circumstances of the rise and fall of this military monastic order. Somewhat more anecdote would have been nice, and the chapter on all the crazy myths surrounding the templars might have been somewhat extended. Still, I now know enough to go and look for the next book on the templars. I need anecdote and song, I know that now.

[Martin Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think it was possible to write a boring book about the Templars, but I'm afraid this is it. The author is clearly knowledgeable but this book really needed to be taken apart by an editor. If you really want to know about the Templars and their Gotterdammerung, or medieval attitudes towards heterodox beliefs, I'd recommend the works of Malcolm Barber. He's much more readable.

[Steven Keays · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb, accessible, and non-hagiographical introduction into the world of this mysterious religious order. The author does a great job in separating the myth from the facts, the legend from the history. One of the better books that I have seen on the subject. Well written, logically structured, and always entertaining.

Highly recommended

[Vimal Dixit · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone who has no knowledge about the Knights Templar and their work this book is a great introductory read to get into this subject a very well written although a brief book about the rise and the eventual fall of the Knights Templar, this book is a must read for both serious readers and casual readers.

[ParisianIrish · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not my first book on the Templars or the Crusades and honestly there is much better out there. The book is a Brief History, and it certainly is that there are good referenced firsthand accounts, but the book looks like it’s been thrown together. In some instances, we see the author as really mastering the subject, providing in-depth insight into the activities of the Templars, the reader is also taken down a couple of rabbit holes as the author goes off on some tangents. The chapter on the trial of the Templars is very interesting and was probably the part that I enjoyed the most. The chapter on the economic activities in the West of Europe was also fascinating but there’s a lack of content on the Templars’ mission and role in the Crusader states and in Eastern Europe.

Overall, it’s a good introduction to the Templars but far from the finished article. Recommended only if a reader is looking for an overview, anyone that has read others books on this subject will not find this too useful or interesting.

[Mark Gannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history of The Knights Templar. It can be a bit academic at times, but enjoyable.

[Simon Slidders · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very solid account. I realise now that I prefer biographical history. The lack of central figures that you can to an extent identify with means that there is little personal to hang the information on. It is a fascinating story and the way the author takes a different theme for each chapter gives it some clarity, but then lacks narrative drive. Probably wrong to judge it like fiction, but I am glad I read it and dispelled many of the myths and misconceptions I had about them, and what it was really like to be a knight in the mediaeval world.

[Lucas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written like a Wikipedia article. The material was okay, but could have been presented a lot better. It was very useful for helping me get to sleep.

[Claire Biggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read into the start and ending of the Knights Templar, the trials and tribulations of being a Knight was hard

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good overview and history. Really quick and easy read

[Kevin Bensley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything you need to know about the Knights Templar.

[T SP · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the chapter on the trial of the Templars was informative, the book largely lacks chronology

[John Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good solid account of the Templars as they REALY were. Not a book for those who expect to read about fabulous theories on their origins, the holy grail and other such stuff, this is a more prosaic account and factual. However I can't help coming away feeling that it was a little dull. I have read an account of the Knights of StJohn by Ernyle Bradford which was most excellent but still factual and really enjoyed it.

[Rogerhenry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found it to be an interesting read, probably requires a second thorough reading for full understanding. My only complaint is a lot of names of people and places are hard to pronounce and jolted me out of my reading induced coma.

will read other books of this nature in the future.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a different take on the Templar History. It looks more at the political arenas that they moved through. It is not in chronological order, but more of a philosophical order. It is very interesting and worth more than just a single read.

[Jody A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for Templar Buffs.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know that it was supposed to be a concise hystory on Templars, but it was a little bit too abridged. But for those who have little time to read big volumes it´s a good alternitive.

[Frostik Dar · Rating 4 out of 5]

splendid illustrated 2001 history of the knights templar -- which soon was supplemented by her more serious "short history."

[Ken Hamner · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was loaded with details that were largely uninteresting and did not communicate the history or significance of the Knights Templar in any meaningful way. Don't bother reading this.