Detailing the entire history of the famous order of the Knights Templar this account goes right from the formation during the first crusades all the way to the apparent dissolution centuries later. Although many believe the order to still exist the history gives a different account although fraternities such as the Freemasons keep the name and traditions alive.

The history of the Knights Templars is a remarkable story of triumphs and defeats, marked with controversies and tragedy. From their rise to their demise, Charles G. Addison captivatingly chronicles the various characters that played a role in shaping this powerful military order that reigned for almost two centuries during the Middle Ages. Having examined scores of documents and texts, and traveled to many of the ruined fortresses and castles of the order, Addison was an expert on the Templars’ history. He insightfully details their plight in this volume, first published in 1842. Starting with the origins of the brotherhood, the foundations and ideals of the order, and their chosen symbol of the red cross, the author explains their role in protecting pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land, their feats during the Crusades, the relationships they held with various kings and church leaders, their contributions to protecting Europe from Turkish conquest and preserving Christianity in Europe and Asia, and their tragic end: stripped of their lands, tortured, and burned at the stake.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

A richly detailed, sometimes challenging work, Charles Addison's The History of the Knights Templar traces the rise and fall of this legendary religious-military organization. Addison was an official member of the Templar Inner Table when he composed his definitive study. This newly edited 2018 edition from The Templar Press updates some of Addison's more archaic wording into modern English.