The Templars

In this thrillingly lucid account, Dan Jones demystifies the Templars in a story spanning hundreds of years and countless rulers, knights and archbishops, a seemingly disproportionate number of whom ended up beheaded . . . Anyone who has read Jones's earlier medieval chronicles will know what to expect here: fast-paced narrative history depicted with irresistible verve, bloody battle scenes and moments of laugh-out-loud wit. There are contemporary parallels, too, with the Templars eventually being laid low by the medieval equivalent of a kind of 'fake news': anti-Templar propaganda spread by the church. This is another triumphant tale from a historian who writes as addictively as any page-turning novelist. --The Guardian This is a fascinating story of fanaticism, set in a land still known for its brutality and strife. 'I have not strayed from my usual ambition, which is to write a book that will entertain as well as inform,' writes the author. In that he has succeeded. Jones is certainly an entertainer, but also a fine historian who knows how to render serious scholarship into accessible prose. Seldom does one find serious history that is so easy to read. -- The Times (London) A fresh, muscular and compelling history of the ultimate military-religious crusading order, combining sensible scholarship with narrative swagger, featuring a cast of exuberantly monstrous sword swingers spattering Christian and Islamic blood from Spain to Jerusalem. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore author of Jerusalem: The Biography Dan Jones has created a gripping page-turner out of the dramatic history of the Templars, from their spiritual warrior beginnings until their tragic destruction by the French king and the pope. It is genuinely moving and a chilling contemporary warning about the abuse of power through persecution and lies. -- Philippa Gregory, author of The White Queen The story of the Templars, the ultimate holy warriors, is an extraordinary saga of fanaticism, bravery, treachery and betrayal, and in Dan Jones they have a worthy chronicler. Templars is a wonderful book! - Bernard Cornwell, author of The Last Kingdom Well-sourced history told in an easy, readable fashion. . . . An engrossing examination of a period whose conflicts are still reverberating today. - Publishers Weekly An up-close look at the legendary band of Crusaders. Jones examines the storied Templars, an organization of quasi- monastic warriors who rose to fame and power in the midst of the Crusades, only to rapidly collapse in questionable scandals . . . A meaty, well- researched history replete with primary source quotes [and] accessible to general readers. An exceptional introduction to the Templars. --Kirkus Reviews (starred) With engaging liveliness . . . Jones chronicles the Templars' actual record of great military achievement, fiduciary responsibility, exceptional faithfulness, and lasting cultural significance. --Booklist Praise for Dan Jones's The Plantagenets: A real life Game of Thrones, as dramatic and blood- soaked as any work of fantasy . . . Fast-paced and accessible, The Plantagenets is old-fashioned storytelling and will be particularly appreciated by those who like their history red in tooth and claw. -The Wall Street Journal The Plantagenets is rich in detail and scene-setting. . . . The Plantagenets' saga is the story of how English monarchs learned, or failed to learn, how to be kings, and how the English people, commoners and barons alike, learned how to limit their powers. -USA Today Jones has brought the Plantagenets out of the shadows, revealing them in all their epic heroism and depravity. His is an engaging and readable account . . . researched with exacting standards. [A] compelling reading. -The Washington Post Outstanding. Majestic in its sweep, compelling in its storytelling, this is narrative history at its best. A thrilling dynastic history of royal intrigues, violent sku