The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple

In this straighforward history of the Knights Templars, Charles Addison details the rise of the Templars to become the first powerful, multinational economic force. In the process of being entrusted by the Church and States of Europe to be the spearhead of the crusades, The Templars gained immense wealth and influence, even though individual Templars took a vow of poverty. Jerusalem was won and lost several times by the crusaders during the 12th and 13th centuries, and Addison recounts eye witness accounts from both the Crusaders and their Moslem opponents, to give a well rounded picture of those turbulent times. After the loss of the Holy Land, the Templars quickly declined. Accused of heresy and bizarre secret rituals, the Templars were ultimately deemed enemies of the Church, and burned at the stake. Modern popular myths continue the tale of the Templars, as the foundation of many of the secret societies today.