Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace [Hardcover]

Not your average Grand Tour

Brandon Wilson's journey 'along the Templar Trail' from Dijon, France to Jerusalem is, in many ways, something we can all identify with. I would even go as far as to say that his experiences can actually resonate with us deeply, although initially we might not realize it. That in part, is the nature of this fascinating book, and this unique travel adventure.

Brandon's journey was a pilgrimage for peace on a trail that historians generally recognize was not about peace, but was in fact about power and religious and cultural hegemony. However Brandon's pilgrimage was intended to right those wrongs.

A pilgrimage is a long, often difficult, and even perilous journey. Pilgrimages usually suggest a journey to a sacred place. They are also symbolic acts and gestures that confirm a particular belief or belief system. In a very deep sense, a pilgrimage is also a quest ' for a greater truth ' or to pay homage to that truth.

But for Brandon, it was also a very long and very real journey on foot across Europe to the Middle East.

After reading Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace, I came to a greater understanding of the quest that Brandon pursued, and then I had the opportunity to find out more about the man and the impact that quest had on his life.

To read more and to listen to a podcast with Brandon, visit The Philosophical Traveller [...].

The ancient rite of pilgrimage is a journey entailing great physical and mental effort. And if the pilgrimage is to succeed, there must be a transformation of the spirit'and realisation of new inner strengths by the pilgrim. Along the Templar Trail encompasses these essential qualities-- and a whole raft of others--packaged in a compelling narrative. The book's key theme is a long walk for peace--along an arcane 2,600-mile trail from France to Jerusalem. The author and his companion are dependent on the kindness of strangers for much of the way: relating these encounters is where the book shines. Author Brandon Wilson has set high standards here'the book captured the prestigious gold medal for best travel book at the Lowell Thomas travel journalism awards.

--Michael Buckley, author of Shangri-La, the Bradt guide

Imagine taking a journey of 7 million steps, across 11 countries and 2 continents, racking up over 4,200 kilometers on your sneakers. Award-winning adventure travel writer and explorer Brandon Wilson invites his readers along on this amazing walking trek from France to Jerusalem, and while we may wince at the eloquently described struggles and challenges he and his companion face, we are spared the exhaustion, sweat and blisters. Instead, we can enjoy the magic and adventure of this amazing odyssey that unfolds along the ancient roads of the Knights Templar and be inspired and uplifted with these brave visionaries' endeavors in spreading messages of peace and hope where there has so often been strife.

Wilson's detailed and often tongue-in-cheek chronicles of the 5 month trek read almost like a diary and draw the reader into each scene and episode, from charming descriptions of bucolic landscapes and unforgettable characters, to tales of comical escapades and even frightening accounts of dangers lurking along the way. We are swept up as the travelers dodge murderous traffic and hostile encounters, adapt to hosts of local customs and struggle with language barriers, and we are truly uplifted by the countless poignant miracles of the "angels" the pilgrims meet all along the way,

Along the Templar Trail is written from the soul and in thoughtful, clever, and humorous style. In Wilson's own words, this is about a "...fellowship shared between pilgrims--those who travel with their feet--and those who join us with their hearts." This is the heartwarming story of an incredible pilgrimage, and it is impossible not to be touched by the vision of peace and humanitarianism at the heart of this journey.

by Zsuzsana Summer
www.arcanamatrix.com