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The Templar Mission to Oak Island and Beyond: Search for Ancient Secrets: The Shocking Revelations of a 12th Century Manuscript
“We make landfall on an island of oaks.” So reads a 12th century Templar manuscript recovered from a medieval Italian church. Two of history’s great mysteries—the fate of the Knights Templar and the truth about the Oak Island treasure—reveal themselves in this fascinating saga of hidden history. "The book we've all been waiting for!" says Rick Lagina, star of History Channel's Curse of Oak Island.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2017
550 people are currently reading
392 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 16, 2019
Five stars for Zena Halpern’s book The Templar Mission to Oak Island and Beyond. What an incredible amounts of detailed research. As a good research project should, the book raises and introduces more questions than it answers. Oak Island and Hunter’s Mountain are definite mysteries. I saw on the television show, The Mystery of Oak Island that Zena Halpern had passed away. Such a loss. I would have liked to follow her research into some of the new questions that she raised. For followers of the Oak Island mystery, The Templar Mission to Oak Island and Beyond is a must read if there ever was one. Jeff Bailey, author of The Defect.
December 13, 2018
I am simply stunned
Anyone who loves real historical mysteries, and don't want a lot of them answered SHOULD NOT READ THIS BOOK. Everyone else...buckle in. I have gone to college for history. This is well researched with all the notations to review. The last part of the book will stun you. The implications are enough to buckle the knees, so read sitting. Again, just WOW!!!!
Anyone who loves real historical mysteries, and don't want a lot of them answered SHOULD NOT READ THIS BOOK. Everyone else...buckle in. I have gone to college for history. This is well researched with all the notations to review. The last part of the book will stun you. The implications are enough to buckle the knees, so read sitting. Again, just WOW!!!!
March 1, 2019
A good adventure and a very interesting work concerning Templar’s, treasure and history. Not as we know history but a real background to what’s been happening and an insight to our ancestors knowledge
January 5, 2019
Fascinating Read
One of the best books I've read that holds your interest from beginning to end. Zena will be missed. RIP
One of the best books I've read that holds your interest from beginning to end. Zena will be missed. RIP
January 16, 2019
WOW!
Facinating! Sent me off on related historical books. Read in two days which resulted in taking me away from daily goals, but who cares? Not I
Facinating! Sent me off on related historical books. Read in two days which resulted in taking me away from daily goals, but who cares? Not I
October 3, 2020
I am intrigued by the mystery surrounding Oak Island as well as other mysteries associated with visits between Europe and Asia to the American continents in unrecorded history. Well, it could be recorded but the records aren't available - most likely due to destruction by the well-meaning fanatic to a natural disaster of the flaming sort. If the Polynesians could explore the Pacific in basically outriggers and Egyptians could cross the Atlantic in papyrus boats, I'm sure the massive sailed ships of China and Europe could as well.
Anyway, the majority of the book entails a history of the Templars, suppositions regarding their actions in Jerusalem along with other theories and specifically, the written manuscript/journal of a Templar mission to an area near Hunter Mountain in New York State and the survivors return. Halpern has done a lot of research in following the various hints and clues provided as well as possess a great deal of luck regarding her connections to people who can provide the next step in her investigation. It's an interesting read overall.
On the other hand, what annoyed me the most about the book is the reproductions of the maps, photos and other illustrations are too small as well as blurry. It is only available as an ebook so examining the illustrations closer, they are out of focus. Of course, if the reader wants to see 'better' quality images of them, they should go to the writer's website. Um. . . no. It's one thing to have a picture here or there out of focus and a completely different situation when basically all of the illustrations need to be reviewed somewhere else.
And then there is the teasers for further discussion will be in the next book. Pushing for sales aren't we? As interesting as the book and her theories may be, those two aspects have made me hesitate to buy any further into her notions. And unfortunately, the author has since passed away and the possibility of someone else continuing her work is - in my opinion - small.
2020-196
Anyway, the majority of the book entails a history of the Templars, suppositions regarding their actions in Jerusalem along with other theories and specifically, the written manuscript/journal of a Templar mission to an area near Hunter Mountain in New York State and the survivors return. Halpern has done a lot of research in following the various hints and clues provided as well as possess a great deal of luck regarding her connections to people who can provide the next step in her investigation. It's an interesting read overall.
On the other hand, what annoyed me the most about the book is the reproductions of the maps, photos and other illustrations are too small as well as blurry. It is only available as an ebook so examining the illustrations closer, they are out of focus. Of course, if the reader wants to see 'better' quality images of them, they should go to the writer's website. Um. . . no. It's one thing to have a picture here or there out of focus and a completely different situation when basically all of the illustrations need to be reviewed somewhere else.
And then there is the teasers for further discussion will be in the next book. Pushing for sales aren't we? As interesting as the book and her theories may be, those two aspects have made me hesitate to buy any further into her notions. And unfortunately, the author has since passed away and the possibility of someone else continuing her work is - in my opinion - small.
2020-196
January 31, 2019
Great read
The information in this book is so jam packed i have to read it again. It was all so very interesting
The information in this book is so jam packed i have to read it again. It was all so very interesting
January 15, 2019
I found this a very good and interesting read. I learned some things about history I never knew and now want to learn more. Zena Helpern is an very good writer and I will miss her future input. I hope Rick Lagina and his team at Oak Island will make her second book a reality.
May 8, 2017
Great book
Can't wait for volume two. This book has answered so many questions I've had over the years about what was found by the Templars under solomons temple and so much more.
Can't wait for volume two. This book has answered so many questions I've had over the years about what was found by the Templars under solomons temple and so much more.
January 31, 2022
A very sensational book. Going into the book I had very little knowledge about the discoveries in New York, was a nice surprise. I use the word sensational to describe this book because it reads like fiction. There are so many areas to conduct further research and so many unanswered mysteries.
I have no doubt that many of the sources are credible, but would have liked to see more citations and supporting research done to substantiate some of these stories. It frustrated me so much reading this book the reliance on sources such as a Dr. William Jackson…I felt at times that entire stories were fabricated because Zena seems to take this Dr. Jackson’s notes and findings at face value without any further substantiation or evidences. I don’t know how much I believe that there was ever a “Dan Spartan” or a “Dr. Bill Jackson,” or whether they worked with the CIA…this could be embellished, and is a perfect cover to weave fiction without internet sleuths able to deep dive into it…also, how do we know that Dr. Jackson was not just someone with an overactive imagination or even a mental illness trying to build conspiracies? We can’t know, because there is no referencing him directly or speaking to this “Spartan Agency.”
I have no doubt that many of the sources are credible, but would have liked to see more citations and supporting research done to substantiate some of these stories. It frustrated me so much reading this book the reliance on sources such as a Dr. William Jackson…I felt at times that entire stories were fabricated because Zena seems to take this Dr. Jackson’s notes and findings at face value without any further substantiation or evidences. I don’t know how much I believe that there was ever a “Dan Spartan” or a “Dr. Bill Jackson,” or whether they worked with the CIA…this could be embellished, and is a perfect cover to weave fiction without internet sleuths able to deep dive into it…also, how do we know that Dr. Jackson was not just someone with an overactive imagination or even a mental illness trying to build conspiracies? We can’t know, because there is no referencing him directly or speaking to this “Spartan Agency.”
July 20, 2024
No one knows the Templar story and Oak Island better than dearly departed Zena Halpern. Her research is very revealing. She uses so may excerpts from her primary sources, it is thrilling for this retired - librarian and archivist. The book is an amazing revelation of the real history of a great mystery. The author had a master's in History fron NYU, and is an expert in the field of ancient seafaring. She likely was never given her due with her research. The entire part of the story of the two men in the prison is extraordinary, as well as the coded messages and the sacred mountain. Stunning are the old maps and the photos in the book,. This book is a 'must read' for any "Acorn." I got to visit the causeway to the Island off of Nova Scotia in 2023, and while there was no travel allowed out to the Island, it was amazing to think that hundreds of years ago, the Templars were there! Zena dedicated this book to "Ralph de Sudeley, the unknown English Templar Knight who led a mission and voyage to American in the 12th Century." Zena knows her stuff! NOTE: The high resolution images of the maps and artifacts shown in the book are no longer found at the URL Zena provides in the book; instead use https://zenahalpern.com/, it has her copyright on the web page.
January 23, 2020
The book contains some very interesting material and it is clear Ms. Halpern had done extensive research on these subjects. I felt the presentation of the material was somewhat disorganized often skipping across hundreds of years on the same page. The book provides images of many original documents but I was unable to read any of them on a Kindle which was frustrating. Finally the connection to Oak Island is what initially interested me, however the Oak Island material is a very small part of the book. In my opinion not nearly significant enough to warrant such a prominent role in the title.
I very much enjoyed the examination of De Sudeley's "Templar Document" which comprised the bulk of the book and Ms. Halpern's observations were very helpful in my understanding.
It is most unfortunate that Ms. Halpern's passing will likely eliminate any possibility of the promised Volume 2. This also may account for the removal of Ms. Halpern's web site which may have had more information.
I very much enjoyed the examination of De Sudeley's "Templar Document" which comprised the bulk of the book and Ms. Halpern's observations were very helpful in my understanding.
It is most unfortunate that Ms. Halpern's passing will likely eliminate any possibility of the promised Volume 2. This also may account for the removal of Ms. Halpern's web site which may have had more information.
August 3, 2024
While the idea of the historic documents this book is based on are interesting, there is nothing I've seen to suggest they are authentic, despite the author's insistence. Most of the conclusions she makes are not based on facts, and are sometimes contradictory to them. All of this is based on notes she got from someone else (Dr. Jackson), so there is no way to verify any of the information. There is another author on the subject, Donald Ruh, who claims he was her research partner until she struck off on her own, and his book has all the same photos, but better quality and in color; he also claims much of Dr. Jackson's notes was actually an attempt at writing a novel. Despite the author claiming she did years of research, there doesn't seem to be much done on her part, as well as not seeming to have even spell checked the book before publication. Overall it's an interesting book, just not scientific in any way.
March 13, 2020
This book is the results of Zena Halpern's research into a Templar visit to North America. It is written for the serious researcher and is therefore not a light read. On the other side, it is serious research and I am glad that I read it. I now know more about the Templar visit to North America and groups other than Native Americans who were living in what is now the United States. Fans of the Curse of Oak Island will find this book interesting and helpful to their understanding of the possible visit made by Templar's to this island and their movements in the 13th century.
October 18, 2017
The subject matter intrigued me and the locales discussed are interesting however there were some real problems with the way the book was written and published. There are numerous typographical errors and leaps of faith which give me pause as to whether the research and conclusions drawn were rushed into completion in order to draw upon the attention that The Curse of Oak Island television show has provided to this project.
January 4, 2020
Intriguing
The amount of research by not only the author but also by such entities as the CIA , the Vatican, and prominent world leaders is astounding. This reads like a Hollywood and only the script is real. One hopes Ms. Harper's legacy continues with renewed zest and an equally tenacious group of researchers.
The amount of research by not only the author but also by such entities as the CIA , the Vatican, and prominent world leaders is astounding. This reads like a Hollywood and only the script is real. One hopes Ms. Harper's legacy continues with renewed zest and an equally tenacious group of researchers.
July 2, 2020
Seriously not sure how much to believe. Some of it seems to be reaching and just fantastical but I found it fascinating and a good read once I grasped how she was presenting it. I have it on Kindle but I'm going to track down a paperback to add to my physical shelves.
Sadly the author has passed away and was not able to continue to produce her findings.
Sadly the author has passed away and was not able to continue to produce her findings.
October 14, 2021
Best Templar book yet- why……? Because in 2014 the Vatican sent secret individuals to hunt the hunter mountains in NYC. That means there are documents still being translated and found! Plus, did you ever hear of anyone finding a Templar deposit? No, me either until I read this. Between 1985 and now “they” are finding caches and they are finding earth shaking documents. Boom. That’s a book
September 4, 2023
There is more to our history than we are told
A fascinating account of the historical record revealing that European explorers visited North America long before Columbus. The reasons behind their voyages are even more amazing. There is a very interesting and important story that needs to be told!
A fascinating account of the historical record revealing that European explorers visited North America long before Columbus. The reasons behind their voyages are even more amazing. There is a very interesting and important story that needs to be told!
April 21, 2024
I definitely agree that the portion of this book dedicated to Oak Island is slim. However, this book is filled with captivating commentary on very perplexing documents and maps. I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend it for readers and fans of Oak Island—also those who are open to theories and research that contradicts current history books.
May 7, 2019
Awesome info
I have been following Oak Island for 5 years now and wondered what made the Lagina's want to do this. After reading this... and through a couple of no way in hell's...I get it. Mind blowing if it all pans out!
I have been following Oak Island for 5 years now and wondered what made the Lagina's want to do this. After reading this... and through a couple of no way in hell's...I get it. Mind blowing if it all pans out!
February 20, 2020
A fascinating analysis of ancient travels to North America. This book exposes the tie in between Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South and North America centuries before Columbus. The Knights Templar left behind mysteries that are still being discovered and analysed today.
February 25, 2020
Interesting
Well written. You must be willing to believe and to accept a new beginning. The Author is not a revisionist historian, but one willing to review and accept well researched new facts. Very enjoyable.
Well written. You must be willing to believe and to accept a new beginning. The Author is not a revisionist historian, but one willing to review and accept well researched new facts. Very enjoyable.
March 6, 2020
I am an unabashed fan of ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ and read what I can find. With a fair degree of healthy skepticism as to the truth of things, I am nonetheless entertained and intrigued. It’s just plain fun!
June 19, 2020
Spell Binding
I first heard of this book on The Curse of Oak Island. Once I started reading this book it was hard to put down. A must read for anyone who is interested in the Templars Knights, history, and true mystery.
Joe Lewis
I first heard of this book on The Curse of Oak Island. Once I started reading this book it was hard to put down. A must read for anyone who is interested in the Templars Knights, history, and true mystery.
Joe Lewis
March 11, 2021
A fascinating account of early visitors to America.
This is an intriguing book, well researched as it is well-written, scholarly yet personal. It is a shame that the author cannot complete her planned sequel. R.I.P.
This is an intriguing book, well researched as it is well-written, scholarly yet personal. It is a shame that the author cannot complete her planned sequel. R.I.P.
May 31, 2023
more than Oak Island
At first I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this book. But just like the Curse of Oak Island, the history just sucked me right in. I will read this book again to absorb the wealth of information presented.
At first I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this book. But just like the Curse of Oak Island, the history just sucked me right in. I will read this book again to absorb the wealth of information presented.
February 4, 2019
Interesting read although nothing that hasn't been written before. I do feel that it is well written so for those whom are interested in the Templars, I highly recommend.
March 9, 2019
Almost total and complete rubbish. Pseudo science mixed with tenuous connections and wishful thinking frequently pointing to WELL ESTABLISHED FRAUDS as truths. Sad.
February 16, 2020
Sean's Book
Contains an incredible amount of information. I will need to read again in order to understand all she is trying to convey.
Contains an incredible amount of information. I will need to read again in order to understand all she is trying to convey.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews