The Knights Templars

The Knights Templars by Charles G. Addison was first published in 1852. It provides a comprehensive account of the Templars, a Catholic military order founded in 1118.

Addison explores the origins of the order, including Hugh de Payens, the Crusades, the Temples in London, the great riches they acquired, and their eventual downfall. With their distinctive white mantles marked by a red cross, the Templars became one of the wealthiest and most powerful institutions in twelfth- and thirteenth-century Europe.

It was this wealth that ultimately led to their disbandment in 1312, after King Philip IV of France pressured Pope Clement V while deeply indebted to the order. Exploiting rumours of secret initiation rites and growing public distrust, the king orchestrated their destruction.

The book concludes with the tragic end of the order, marked by the execution of its Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, who was burned at the stake.