"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
This approach takes Read back into the Dark Ages and the context for the first Christian Crusade, which culminated in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. In an attempt to hold on to Jerusalem and one of the holiest sites in Christendom, the Temple of Solomon, the Templars were formed as a strict religious-military order, committed to poverty, chastity, and the protection of pilgrims en route to the Holy Land. Read charts their rise to political and financial power and influence throughout Europe and the Holy Land, and their bloody (and ultimately unsuccessful) conflict with the forces of Islam over the subsequent two centuries. Read's account is painstakingly recounted, but often lacks the verve and pace demanded by the colorful cast of characters, including Saladin and Richard the Lionheart. The best sections of the book deal with the shockingly cynical destruction of the Order by Pope Clement V and King Philip the Fair in 1312, preceded by the torture and death of hundreds of Templars who had already fought bravely for the cross in the Holy Land. The Templars are fascinating, but in his attempt to avoid the more colorful and conspiratorial stories associated with the Order, Read's book may strike some as a little turgid, despite its admirable historical detail. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0753810875-2-1
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-0753810875-new
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # GB-9780753810873
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Read reveals the Templars - in their white tunics with red crosses over chainmail - as the first uniformed standing army in the Western world, as well as pioneers of international banking. He examines their fall at the hands of a greedy French king, who extracted confessions of heresy and immorality by torture. And the extraordinary Middle Ages, with their blend of high religious fervour and unusual cruelty, are brought thrillingly, startlingly to the page. The tragic history of the Knights Templar, the largest and most powerful military order of the Crusades. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780753810873
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780753810873
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780753810873
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. The dramatic, ultimately tragic history of the Knights Templar, the largest and most powerful military order of the Crusades. Seller Inventory # B9780753810873
Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 7dd02a2505d64b903bf7f78694eed8e5
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. BRAND NEW ** SUPER FAST SHIPPING FROM UK WAREHOUSE ** 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Seller Inventory # 9780753810873-GDR