Suzannah Rowntree's Reviews > The New Knighthood: A History of the Order of the Temple

The only conspiracy theories you'll find in this history of the Templars are the ones dissected in the last chapter, which come accompanied by an assortment of what I believe the kids these days are calling "sick burns". As always, Barber is detailed, careful, and meticulous in recounting and weighing the historical facts: he doesn't just tell you what the primary sources say, he also weighs them up and discusses their biases. This detail and carefulness doesn't make for the most accessible possible reading experience, but I had no trouble nibbling through this at the rate of 20 pages per day.

Like many Crusader historians, Barber assumes that Christianity is by definition a pacifist faith (an assumption that would have struck men from Theodosius and Belisarius to Stonewall Jackson and Alvin York speechless with amazement), but otherwise, I was pleased by his willingness to accept sincerely religious motivations for historical happenings: it's hard to take seriously any medieval historian who doesn't get faith. Chapter 2, on the concept behind the Templars, was the standout of the whole book for me as it outlined St Bernard's influential treatise On the New Knighthood which set the vision for the whole enterprise, as well as going over some early criticisms made by men I respect from William of Tyre to John of Salisbury. (The latter has been a hero of mine ever since I dug him up while researching equity in law school. It was ridiculously exciting to read his opinion of the Templars.)

As detailed and informative as this book was, in some cases I would have preferred some more straightforward answers to my questions. It's only in a footnote, for example, that Barber confirms that the Templars are never known to have made war with the purpose of forced conversions (I basically assumed as much from previous study, because nothing on the historical record suggests this was true, but it would have been nice to know). I would have liked a little more solid detail on the structure and usages of the Order: for instance, how knights were titled ("Brother" not "sir", I assume) and also some information on the status and experience of serving brothers. The second-last chapter, on the dissolution of the Order, gave only an impressionistic summary of the events, instead choosing to focus very closely on ancillary questions such as Philip II's motivations in prosecuting the Order. If I hadn't read a previous account of the trial, I'd have been completely lost.

Finally, a caution: if you haven't read Scott's Ivanhoe or The Talisman, Barber spoils the plots of both of them pretty comprehensively in the last chapter. They're good yarns, so make sure to read 'em first! ;)