Description :

A source of enduring contemporary curiosity, the Knights of the Temple of Solomon were an order of warrior monks first founded to protect pilgrims to the Holy Land from infidel attack.
Piers Paul 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 startlingly to the page.

'He writes with great clarity, delineates character well and succinctly, and can tell a good story' - Times Literary Supplement

'Read's history of the Templars is magnificent in every way' - Mail on Sunday

'A highly readable and nicely paced book that draws on the lessons of modern historical scholarship while also communicating a sense of narrative excitement and drive' - Evening Standard