The Tragedy of the Templars: The Rise and Fall of the Crusader States

New York: Harper & Brothers, 2013. 433 pages, [16] pages of plates, illustrations (some colour), maps; 23 cm. Near fine. Tight, clean copy. Light shelfwear to wraps. First edition thus. "From Michael Haag, bestselling author of The Templars: The History and the Myth, comes The Tragedy of the Templars, an exciting new look at the rise of Templar power and the saga of their destruction. Founded on Christmas Day 1119 in Jerusalem, the Knights Templar was a religious order dedicated to defending the Holy Land and its Christian pilgrims in the decades after the First Crusade. Legendary for their bravery and dedication, the Templars became one of the wealthiest and most powerful bodies of the medieval worldand the chief defenders of Christian society against growing Muslim forces. In The Tragedy of the --The Rise and Fall of the Crusader States, Haag masterfully details the conflicts and betrayals that sent this faction of powerful knights spiraling from domination to condemnation. This stirring and thoroughly researched work of historical investigation includes maps and full-color photographs of important cultural sites, many of which doubled as battlefields during the Crusades." - Publisher.. 1st. Paperback. Very Good. 8vo.