Tony McMahon gives a historical narrative of the Knights Templar's history, from their rise to their origins, crusades, heroes and villains, and ultimate fall. The Knight's Templar was a medieval Christian military order founded around 119. Their main role was to protect Christians visiting the Holy Land. This role changed during the Crusades and they became a dominant military force. They maintained their lifestyle through donations, acquiring land, and banks. They held considerable political clout. These ceased to exist after Pope Clement V disbanded the order. The author uses many resources to craft his historical narrative of the knight's templar. He utilizes movies and book references written by contemporaries to give us a deeper understanding of who the knight's templar was when crafting his thesis. I started reading this book with no prior knowledge of the Knights Templar and this was a well-written book explaining who they are and their role in Medieval Europe. I recommend this for any budding or experienced medieval historian or enthusiast.

This definitely rates as one of the most comprehensive books ever written about the history and key characters of the Knights Templar. It is a thoroughly well-researched textbook that gives insight into the mysterious, courageous, and well-disciplined Templars.
Sadly, such valiant knights were condemned to death as heretics by powerful nobility who were desperate to obtain their perceived wealth.
Tony McHahon provides a very useful list of references at the end of the book, which I have had great pleasure in researching further insights into this mysterious group of warriors.
I thoroughly recommend this book.

Quick Summary: An intriguing interpretation on one of history's most captivating topics

My Review: The Knights Templar: History & Mystery by Tony McMahon is a 2024 release from Pen & Sword. It is a historical, non-fiction resource for laymen and aficionados.

About the Book: "The Knights Templar have fascinated us for centuries. They were holy warriors who fought with incredible bravery in the Crusades but were then destroyed..."

In My Own Words: Warriors of old. The bravest of the brave. Holy men on a holy mission. Embattled. Pursued. Sentenced to death. Absent and yet present. Forever enthralling. The Knights Templar were destined to make a mark on history.

Specific Topics of Interest from the Book:

Chapter 2 - > Mysterious Origins of the Knights Templar
Chapter 5 - > The Holy Grail, Knights Templar, and King Arthur
Chapter 6 - > Accusations of Treachery
Chapter 10 - > Did the Templars Survive?

My Final Say: The topic of the Knights Templar has been particularly engaging to me for quite some time. I am utterly intrigued by them. I have sought to understand them since I first began delving into my own personal study on the Medieval era. When this book became available to review, I was immediately excited by the prospect of learning more. I knew I had to get my hands on it.

I found this book to be interesting, in terms of providing resource material. There was certainly an overwhelming amount of information. In fact, I would be so bold as to say that there was an overabundance of information on this topic that is very much steeped in mystery. Still, I walked away with definite food for thought. Although I wished for more visually embedded content per chapter, regarding geographical considerations and photographic information, I was generally pleased. It simply would have been nice to have breaks from the wording.

Other: This book is for all of those who appreciate the lure of these celebrated holy warriors. In my opinion, it is best consumed in bite-sized portions. It has a read and savor flow versus that of an immediate digestion flow. Readers who enjoy digging into history's cloak and dagger esque subject matters should like this one.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 🕸🤔💬👍
Special Notation: This would make a good history club recommendation. It may also do well in an audiobook format. (That would have been my preference.)

Heartfelt appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Pen & Sword | Pen & Sword History), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting my wish and providing access to a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest critique. The words I have shared are my own.

I wanted to love this book, but it became a chore to read it. Much more history than I ever thought I needed to know. While I admire the time and effort and the research that went into making a cohesive report on the Knights Templar, I simply didn't enjoy it. I think someone with a deeper interest would do just fine.