This authoritative sourcebook offers comprehensive information on Knights Templar history, symbols, key figures, unanswered questions, and more.
" Knights Templar Encyclopedia offers both general readers and specialists alike a remarkable source work on the famous medieval military order. Scholarly and authoritative, Dr Ralls' treasury of Templar traditions is highly recommended." —Professor Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, Professor of History, University of Exeter (UK)
Who were the Knights Templar? And how did they become the wealthiest multinational corporation in the medieval West? These powerful crusaders of the late Middle Ages remain a source of fascination for their mysterious ways and their far-reaching influence. The knights of the Order of the Temple were not only warriors, but also diplomats, international banking experts, advisors to popes and kings, and much more.
Written by leading Templar authority and medieval historian Dr. Karen Ralls, Knights Templar Encyclopedia presents the history of the Order of the Temple in an accessible A-to-Z format. This authoritative sourcebook features a wealth of information on the key Templar people, places, events, symbols, organization, daily life, beliefs, economic empire, trial, and more. It includes photos and illustrations, an extensive bibliography, a historical timeline, and a list of major European Templar sites. The product of more than 16 years of meticulous, scholarly research, this indispensable resource is for the general reader and specialist alike—for anyone, in fact, who is interested in the history and legacy of the powerful Knights Templar (1119–1312).
This book contains many facts about the Templar Order, but having been written in 2007, newer information from research is missing. Anyone wanting to find facts should consider this work as a great starting point.
Karen Ralls offers a good amount of information, however there are relatively few articles dedicated to individual people, events and places. Fortunately, the book contains a very comprehensive index.
Karen Ralls has produced a great primer on the Knights Templar. If you know nothing about this order of medieval warrior monks, then this is a good place to begin.