The Templars

The History and the Myth: From Solomon's Temple to the Freemasons

By: Michael Haag

Narrated by: Guy Bethell

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Arguably one of the most provocative, puzzling, and misunderstood organizations of medieval times, the legendary Knights Templar have always been shrouded in a veil of mystery, while inspiring popular culture from Indiana Jones to Dan Brown. In The Templars, author Michael Haag offers a definitive history of these loyal Christian soldiers of the Crusades - sworn to defend the Holy Land and Jerusalem, but ultimately damned and destroyed by the Pope and his church.

A best seller in the United Kingdom - the first history of the enigmatic warriors to include findings from the Chinon Parchment, the long-lost Vatican document absolving the Knights of heresy - The Templars by Michael Haag is a fascinating, must-listen book.

©2011 Michael Haag (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Haag sifts through the history and the legends to illuminate these mysterious Holy Warriors.... [Fans] of The Da Vinci Code and other fictions relating to the Templars will enjoy this well-written […] and solidly researched book. Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)

Rather bad narration

This work is full of historical detail, and it is probably a great read in print. The narrator, however, has a sloppy, lazy, British accent which gets worse when quoting sources used in the work. If I read it again it will be in book form or with a different narrator.

Comprehensive

A good historical reference of a great mystery. I appreciate the references to locations and other texts at the end of narration.

Great book!

Terrific story and historic accounts of the Knights Templar. Well read by the narrator. A must listen or read by any Templar historian.

Solid but not perfect

The author distorts some of his early facts in the gospels and their dating thus showing his scope is grand but stretches himself too thin. He also rightly accuses previous authors to exaggerating their claims on the Templars without good evidence (which he is quite right); but then he does the same thing by dismissing 100% of all these “myths” with a hand wave instead of evidence why all of them are false? So overall a good introduction but the author should have ranked for example that Templar’s discovered America perhaps a “2” on possibility and then the Masonic link a “5” possibly instead of continuing to laugh and hand wave these all as “just silly” but not refuting or ranking based on plausibility, explanatory scope/power, etc.
The voice over is PERFECT for this book though and that bring my rank from a 3 star to 4 star. (I have an MA in classical history so though I am no expert neither am I a novice)

historical info

I am a history buff and wanted to learn more about the templers good listening to

seems like a solid book so far

have not read all of it, but seems solid so far. good narrator.
I do recommend.

Detailed story

Accent of narrator was at times hard to decipher making it seem like work to understand.

history, nonfiction

I read mostly non-fiction. This covered the topic in an appropriate length and did not lose my attention.

Narrator ruined it

After a few hours, I had to stop listening because the narrator is terrible. I listen in my car making the audio quality key. He buries the end of his words which makes names incomprehensible. Very disappointed.

Five stars

I love everything and word in this book, for sure I’m going to buy a regular paper book to have on my personal library.