Templars

“Steve Tibble’s fascinating book sets out to separate fact from fiction, sketching the order’s 12th-century rise, its battles in the Crusades, and its brutal end.”—History Revealed “A stirring and fascinating history.”—Christopher Hart, Mail on Sunday “Tibble explodes the old myths but the documented reality he unveils is even more fascinating: behind the warriors lay an intricate organisation of diplomats, lawyers, bankers and estate managers, all of them bound by a monastic oath.”—Jonathan Harris, author of The Lost World of Byzantium “Thoughtful, original, accessible: Tibble writes with panache and, yes, the Templars were even more important and played an even bigger role in English affairs than we thought.”—Peter W. Edbury, author of The Conquest of Jerusalem and the Third Crusade “Templars is an engaging and fascinating exploration of the most famous medieval knights. Templars are, here, administrators and diplomats as well as warriors, supranational seekers of peace in Europe to fuel war in the Near East. In seeing their work in the round, Tibble offers us a deep and rich picture of the Order.”—Matthew Lewis, author of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine   “Vivid and illuminating. . . . With a wry style and a sharp eye for an engaging anecdote Tibble reveals the surprising profile of the Templars as diplomats, seafarers, farmers and financiers who, at times, were right at the heart of royal government – activities all essential to their core purpose of fighting to defend Jerusalem.”—Jonathan Philips, author of The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin