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The Templars

The Secret History Revealed

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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 the Inquisition - which held the key to the truth - had vanished.Templar historian Barbara Frale happened to be studying a document at the Vatican Secret Archives when she suddenly realized that it was none other than the long-lost transcript! It revealed that Pope Clement V had absolved the order of all charges of heresy. Using this sensational new information, Frale chronicles the Templars spectacular rise and fall against a sweeping backdrop of war, religious fervor, and the struggle for dominance, and finally lifts the centuries-old cloak of mystery surrounding one of the worlds most intriguing secret societies.

©2004, 2011 Società editrici Il Mulino, Bologna Foreword copyright 2008, 2009, 2011 by Umberto Eco/L’espresso. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate. English-language translation copyright 2009, 2011 by Arcade Publishing, Inc. (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Christianity Europe Great Britain History Medieval Military World Middle Ages War England Crusade World History
All stars
Most relevant
Really in depth and very informative would recommend goes into so much detail about the order

Fantastic listen

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Whilst the book itself is a very reasonable history of the Templars - if a bit heavy on the Crusade detail, and a bit thin on the whole 'secret history' revelation - it is let down by a profoundly annoying narration.

Other reviewers have mentioned the unusual choice of reading dates as numbers, and I found it really very annoying indeed. We are used to hearing dates in a particular format nineteen-forty-five, or seventeen-sixty-six. When they are read as one thousand nine hundred and forty five or One thousand seven hundred and sixty six, the brain requires a few seconds to translate the number back into a date - which interrupts the flow of listening to the book. In a history book - where dates are so important - this is particularly vexing.

There were, to my mind at least, other issues with the narration - which sometimes sounded petulant as if a particular event was some manner of personal affront. Words and phrases were also often stressed oddly - to my ear at least.

I am afraid the narration spoiled the book for me.

Very disappointing

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