14 h 51 minAudiobook13 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
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How does an order of fighting monks rise from Jerusalem’s dangerous roads to wealth, war, and trial?
C. G. Addison follows the Knights Templars from their beginnings in Jerusalem through their wars in the Holy Land. Pilgrims face robbers and raiders on the roads, and the knights take on their protection. A rule joins the lives of monk and soldier, while gifts of land and churches build the order’s wealth across many lands.
Drawing on chronicles, papal letters, and trial records, Addison traces the charges that bring the order down in France. He also leads you into London’s Temple Church and the grounds where he works as a barrister. Here, the story reaches beyond the knights to the Hospitallers and the lawyers who later occupy the site.
What you’ll discover
- Danger on the pilgrim roads Begin with the exposed routes to Jerusalem and the knights who guard those travelling them.
- The monk and the soldier Explore the rule that shapes an order devoted to both religious life and war.
- Land behind the battles Follow gifts of farms, manors, and churches into the growing wealth of the Templars.
- The charges and the trial Examine the order’s fall through Addison’s use of chronicles, letters, and records of its trial.
- London’s lasting Templar traces Discover the history behind the round church and the Temple grounds Addison knows well.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this book if you love crusader history, medieval documents read in full, tales of sieges, the story behind the Inns of Court, or the mystery of how a famous order came to be accused.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Monks become soldiers and trusted bankers
- Obedience binds the brothers together
- Generosity brings wealth and resentment
- Discipline builds a fierce military reputation
- Divided leaders leave the kingdom exposed
- Trust gives the Temple another purpose
- Military loss leaves the order vulnerable
- Old customs survive in new hands
- Weigh the evidence behind the accusations
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The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple
by C. G. Addison · 1842
Nine knights swear to guard pilgrim roads, and soon kings trust them with their gold.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
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“I am a witness to the Lamb.”
In short
What if the most trusted bankers of medieval Europe were also monks who fought with swords? In 1118 nine knights in Jerusalem vow to guard pilgrims on dangerous roads.
The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple at a glance
- Reading time
- About 8 h 25 min6 h 40 min fast, 10 h slow
- Length
- 119,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1842by C. G. Addison
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Nine knights and a Rule from Saint Bernard
After Jerusalem falls to the Crusaders in 1099, pilgrims pour in from Europe. Muslim bands still hold mountain castles, and Bedouin horsemen raid across the Jordan. Pilgrims face robbery and death almost every day.
In answer, nine noble knights make a pact to clear the roads. They take the vows of monks and call themselves the Poor Fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ. In 1118 King Baldwin the Second gives them a home on Mount Moriah, where tradition places Solomon's Temple. From it they take the name Templars. Hugh de Payens becomes the first Master.
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Details
- First published
- 1842
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 9 h 40 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Addison, C. G. The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-history-of-the-knights-templars-the-temple-church-and-the-temple.
Addison, C. G. (2026). The history of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-history-of-the-knights-templars-the-temple-church-and-the-temple (Original work published 1842)
Addison, C. G. The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-history-of-the-knights-templars-the-temple-church-and-the-temple.
@book{addison2026history,
author = {Addison, C. G.},
title = {The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-history-of-the-knights-templars-the-temple-church-and-the-temple},
note = {First published 1842}
}
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What is The History of the Knights Templars about?
It traces the Templars from their founding in Jerusalem around 1118 through the crusades, their great wealth, and their arrest and trial in 1307. It then follows the Temple Church and the lawyers of the Inner and Middle Temple in London.
Who was Hugh de Payens?
Hugh de Payens was a knight who fought at the siege of Jerusalem and was chosen as the first Master of the Temple. Addison calls him the order's founder, and he helped win approval for the Rule at Troyes in 1128.
Why are they called the Knights Templar?
King Baldwin the Second gave the knights a home in a building on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which was linked to Solomon's Temple. The knights took their name from this Temple, so they became the Knights of the Temple.
The author
C. G. Addison
English legal writer
Charles Greenstreet Addison (1803–1866) was an English barrister and writer who lived and worked in England. He published The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple in 1842. He also wrote legal works on contracts, published in 1847, and on torts, published in 1860.
“I am a witness to the Lamb.”
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