Product Description

1095 and crusading fervour has swept Europe. Christ’s fief of Jerusalem has been seized by the Infidels. The Frankish Knights of the West are to march east to liberate the Holy City. Hugh de Payens and Godefroi of St Omer, the soon-to-be founders of the Templar Order, and Hugh’s younger sister, Eleanor, leave the security of their homes in Burgundy, France, with a plan to join Count Raymond of Toulouse's army, and march across the known world to Jerusalem.

Follow the crusaders as they march through Europe into the glories of Byzantium and onto Syria and witness the hardships, bloodshed and trickery they encounter on their treacherous travels to the Holy Land.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22580 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

About the Author
Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough. He studied History at Liverpool and Oxford Universities and obtained a doctorate for his thesis on Edward II and Queen Isabella. He is now headmaster of a school in north-east London and lives with his family in Essex.

Customer Reviews

Even the worse book has its good page: the last one
that is what John James Osborne said and I was reminded of that when reading Paul Doherty's "The Templar".

I am actually quite shocked that I had to say this as I am otherwise a huge fan of Paul Doherty and have more of less all of his books. But "The Templar" is unfortunately not one of them. It is terribly boring, is all over the place and does not have a great flow. It drags on and on and does not seem to get to the point. It was a real drag to finish this book. It is so non-Doherty like. I simply do not get it what possessed Doherty to write in such a way. He can do so much better as he has proved many times before. Doherty writes an awful lot and maybe he needs a little break. This is unfortunately a shocking disappointment.

Better read a real history of the crusades
I had a hard time finishing this book. Although the crusades (especially the first) are one of my main interests. In his appendix the author states that he based his book on Tyerman's 'A new history of the crusades'. I would recommend everyone to read Tyerman instead of Doherty. I really have the impression that Doherty made a (very) simplistic abbreviated version of the first chapters of Tyermans' masterpiece, mixed in some mystery, some love affair, et voilà, a new book.

Boring, boring, boring
Very disappointing was the opinion of a well-read friend. She is someone who usually really enjoys books on the Knights Templar. However in this case she agreed so absolutely with the previous reviewer that I am posting this review on her behalf.