Barbara Frale gives us an explosive, exhaustively researched history of the medieval world's most powerful military order, the Templars. At its height, the Order of the Knights Templar rivaled the kingdoms of Europe in military might, economic power, and political influence. For 700 years, the tragic demise of this society of warrior-monks amid accusations of heresy has been plagued by controversy, in part because the transcript of their trial by...

Professor Thomas F. Madden examines one of the most fascinating organizations in world history: the Knights Templar, whose members gave up home, family, and worldly possessions to defenD the Holy Land and the Christian pilgrims who journeyed there.