Templars - The Rise, Fall & Survival of the Knights Templar (Paperback)

Mysteries about the Knights Templar are at the heart of this exploration into the lives of extraordinary people who shaped this legendary order. Their intriguing stories shed new light on the forces that propelled Hugh de Payens and his Templars to positions of exceptional influence in the Medieval world. Templar links to Solomon's Temple have emerged as being more important than previously thought, and even added to the incredible wealth that filled their coffers. The rise of these knights also increased the power of the Vatican, whose later attacks on the Templars came back to haunt it. Walter de Clifton and other real-life Templars left testimony that revealed how they survived the arrests and executions that decimated their brotherhood in 1307. Living as outcasts, these once-powerful knights contributed to the fall of kings in Europe and the Vatican's loss of its dominant position. Their actions still influence our lives today.