I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found the subject matter really interesting. The book was well written and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book.

A really good introduction and visual to this group from its conception to when it fell out of favour. A number of different topics and people introduced.

A good introduction to Templar Knights, well researched and informative.
I would have liked some more pictures but it was an interesting read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Knights Templar is a fantastic journey through the historical facts behind the myths. If you have already explored the Knights Templar, the Crusades, and other secret societies, there is nothing new between the covers. However, this is an excellent introduction for anyone whose curiosity has been piqued by Hollywood.

Thank you NetGalley and Amber Books, Ltd. for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

Definitely aimed at the younger reader and certainly not the more advanced reader looking for a more scholarly tome. Covers off the basics, and the usual myths and allegations.

Introduction is on the early knights, courtly love, Arthurian mythos, with a side tour to the world of the Benedictine monks.

Focus is not just the Templars, but also the Hospitallers, Teutonic Knights, and other European knightly orders in both the Holy Land and Europe as centered mainly around the Mediterranean.

Plenty of maps, images, side text boxes and catchy headings.

Well below my reading level.

This is a fairly academic book about the origins of the fabled Knights Templar with large black and white pictures and special 'boxed' sections about the Arthurian legends, saints and castles. It is reasonably heavy-going if you're wanting to read an introduction to the history, and it has a lot of well-researched information. I enjoyed reading about the 'Leper King', however, and other famous characters from the times of the Crusades.

Unfortunately, I had a lot of trouble with my Adobe app, and I couldn't download it to OneClick because there seems to be something wrong with NetGalley on my iPad. Trying to read it on the phone would be hopeless.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Coming This Month…

The Knights Templar—From Catholic Crusaders to Conspiring Criminals
by Michael Kerrigan

Templar Facts, Myths & Modern Views

Princes and pirates; protectors, politicians and plunderers; quite frequently all of these correctly describe the soldiers of Christ known, as Knights Templar, according to research presented in Mike Kerrigan’s latest book, “The Knights Templar—From Catholic Crusaders to Conspiring Criminals.”

“….Christ was the implicit inspiration for every crusade…” Michael Kerrigan, “The Knights Templar—From Catholic Crusaders to Conspiring Criminals.”

Knights Templar are fabled in history wearing gleaming white vestments of purity, with a red cross of Christ blazoned across the chest—the mythic fairy tale “white knights” rescuing damsels in distress.

Kerrigan explains that these Medieval warrior monks, known primarily as Knights Templar (although there were many similar Orders, (Hospitalizers, Teutonic Knights, Knights of St. John, etc.) flocked to the Holy Land from across Europe on numerous Crusades to defend Christianity from the encroachment of Islam, as well as to protect pilgrims trekking to Jerusalem from bandits marauding along the routes.

With attention to research, and a personal acerbic analysis of facts, Kerrigan’s “Templar” is a thoroughly engaging read and includes a broad range of history. The book begins with the first call to Crusade; tells of valiant 13-year-old Frankish Prince Baldwin IV, a leper, who proves a brave warrior and rises to become King of Jerusalem; explains the origins and vows of the Templars; summarizes many of their legends and literature; discusses the Templar evolution and ultimate downfall; and closes on its current modern forms.

They are paradoxically referenced in many notable works of literature as gallant noblemen of chivalry--such as in Arthurian legends. Yet, nay sayers will accuse the same Templars as heretics and heinous blasphemers.

Ironically, Templar legacy and mystique unknowingly comes into many people's minds several times a year on every Friday the 13th. Throughout the last 700-years, Friday 13th has been considered unlucky. This may be because on Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered all Templar Buildings ransacked. This resulted in the torture of hundreds of Knights Templar on trumped-up charges of heresy—and ultimately in the burning at the stake of the last Templar Grand Master, Jacques de Molay.




The Book Maven’s Journal—Reviews for Word Connoisseurs

REVIEWER: J.Hunt
STAR RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Sincere Appreciation to NetGalley, Author Michael Kerrigan, and Amber Books, LLC., for Providing an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) for Review.

Additional Reviews by ‘TheBookMavenJoy’ can be found also on Goodreads.

This is a scholarly history of many orders of Knights. The Templars don't show up until the a quarter of the way through the book. I have read several books that like Dan Brown's the Di Vince Code that are based on trying to find treasure or artifacts left behind by The Knights Templar. Also other books suggesting Templars still exist as an underground organization. This book isn't about those kinds of fiction.

I learned Knights and Templars were soldier monks. They often were from wealthy families bringing their money and pledging their lives to brotherhoods orders. They felt they were Christ's soldiers fighting the heathens. They with other Knights like the Hospitallers set up fortresses, hospitals, and cathedrals. Templars also participated in banking making them wealthy but also partially leading to their downfall when Pope Clement dismantles them and takes their wealth.

The book could just as easily be called a history of knights as many different orders are discussed. I think I was expecting a Wikipedia type primer with the focus on the Templars but this is more complex and covering more time periods.. There are many illustrations and photos of places but disappointingly all are in black and white (probably for cost savings). This is a good book for lovers of history or for libraries. I like history but this is more in-depth than casual readers will enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley and Amber Books Ltd. for a temporary ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was information overload. I’ve read a lot of books from this publisher and I was not expecting the amount of writing in this book. I truly struggled to even skim read the book. I was also disappointed to find that the photos win the book were all in black and white. I know color is more expensive, but again, I’ve read so many books from this publisher and they have always had beautiful color images. I’m sure some fanatic of the Middle Ages or the Crusades is going to love this book, but that person is not me.
Thank you to Amber Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

224 pages

4 stars

I have been reading about the Knights Templar for many years. There was much in this book that was not new, but sufficient that was to hold my interest. As with another reviewer, I noticed the errors in some of the dates.

All in all, it was very well done and Mr. Kerrigan must have done extensive research. I appreciate his effort. I, too, was very frustrated at having to read the book on my phone. The print was so small, it gave me a headache. I will be more careful in the future when requesting books.

I want to thank NetGalley and Amber Books Ltd/Amber Books for forwarding to me a copy of this nook for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I'm going to start with a bit of a gripe - I had to read this on my phone in the app as it didn't come as a Kindle download, An error with the publisher I think as it would have been great to have been able to read this on my Kindle

However, that said, this is a fabulous read
so well researched and written- really enjoyed

Absolutely fascinating. I adore anything history & the knights templar have always had this air of mystery shrouding them, this book helped me understand things so much!

This is an area of history I know quite a bit on, yet find underrepresented so this was a refreshing change to discover a book so well researched and explained, with great artwork to add to the writing, I’ve been very impressed by the authors work, and will be recommending to friends who are also history buffs, as this isn’t so simplistic that it’s only for those wanting to learn the basics, but instead has something for everyone

Prior to reading this book, my knowledge of knights was limited to Chaucer’s knight in Canterbury Tales who embodied the ideals of chivalry and to my dog-eared Dorling Kindersley book about knights. As an adult I’d read Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’ where the basis of the story is whether or not the Knights Templar order was established by an already existing secret society called the Priory of Sion to establish Christian theocracy over Europe ruled by the descendants of Jesus. I’m ashamed to say that I had no idea about the history of knights nor the different orders.

This is an absolutely fascinating look at the history of Europe’s Christian military and chivalric orders. The 180 photographs, artworks and maps highlighted the rise and fall of Templars, the Knight’s Hospitallers and the Teutonic Knights.

I was expecting a book about the military and religious aspects of the orders but was presently surprised to also discover the Templars’ role in modern banking, hospitals, castles, and cathedral building. The biggest surprise for me was the Hospitallers’ battles against Barbary pirates. My favourite image was on page 6 where a scriptural scene represented Jerusalem’s Crusader capture in 1066. What interested me most was how clear the author made it that the medievals saw nothing oxymoronic about the term “holy war”; they were soldiers of Christ.

I learned when the Knights Templar, Hospitallers and Teutonic orders were formed, how they came about their names, their armour/uniform, and why an unsustainable and problematic purpose led to their downfall.

The island of Rhodes is one of our holiday destinations this year and I’m now interested to visit the Knights Hospitaller’s castle and the Grand Master’s Palace after reading about it.

I was gifted this advance copy by Michael Kerrigan, Amber Books Ltd., and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.