Templars: The Knights Who Made Britain
Steve Tibble

A gripping account of the Knights Templar, showing how they played a profound role in making modern Britain

Originally established in the twelfth century to protect pilgrims, the Knights Templar are known as crusading warriors, single-minded in their pursuit of war in the Near East. But, almost 200 years later, the Order was crushed on charges of heresy. Centuries on, the knights have become associated with conspiracy, fanaticism, and the quest for the Holy Grail.

In this bold new interpretation, Steve Tibble explores the myths surrounding the Order. While they were ruthless soldiers on the battlefield, the Templars were also dedicated peace-mongers at home. They influenced royal strategy and policy, created financial structures, and brokered international peace treaties—all to ensure that men, money, and material could be transferred more readily to the east.
 
Charting the rise of the Order under Henry I through to its violent suppression at the end of the thirteenth century, Tibble argues that these medieval knights were essential to the emergence of an early English state. From Temple Church to Bisham Abbey, and across all parts of the British Isles, the knights left their mark on the landscape of the country. Although the Knights Templar were founded to defend Jerusalem, their influence in Britain was just as far-reaching.