30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Ray of Light on the Templar Enigma, April 25 2007
By Jeff Farrow - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Knights Templar Encyclopedia (Paperback)
Confused about all the speculation & stories centered around the secret society known as the Knights Templar? Do you want to sort out the fact and fiction of Mary Magdalene and The Holy Grail? Find it hard to know just who to believe in all the so-called "codes" & "ancient mysteries?" Were the Templars guilty of witchcraft, Satanism & homosexuality as charged by The Church? Do you want FACTUAL history of the Templars presented in one well-written & engrossing format? Would you like a real encyclopedia of the subject that reads like an exciting novel?
Then get this book.
Inside you will find information about the history of not only the mysterious & romantic Templars, but also that of the Cathars, the journey of mystical relics, Gnostic sects & their persecution by The Church, the floor plans of the famous Rosslyn Chapel, Agnes Dei, and much, much more.
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR ENCYCLOPEDIA is a gem of investigative reporting & analysis, in contrast to which other books of similiar genre should be compared. It is a fully engaging & intelligent work.
The Secret History of Freemasonry: Its Origins and Connection to the Knights Templar
Holy Blood, Holy Grail
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Opening the Ark of the Covenant: The Secret Power of the Ancients, the Knights Templar Connection, And the Search for the Holy Grail
Bloodline of the Holy Grail: The Hidden Lineage of Jesus Revealed
The Stone Puzzle of Rosslyn Chapel: The Truth behind its Templar and Masonic secrets
Rosslyn and the Grail
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
The Gnostic Gospels: Including the Gospel of Thomas The Gospel of Mary Magdalene (Sacred Wisdom)
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy To Use Reference on the Knights Templar, April 16 2007
By Alan S. Glassman "pleromata" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Knights Templar Encyclopedia (Paperback)
When Dr. Ralls asked me to submit a few of my past photos for inclusion in her latest book, I had no idea she was working on an encyclopedia of the Knights Templar. However, I was delighted to see and read the final product of her research. It is at once both an excellent reference about the Knights and an easily readable narrative of who they were, their historical activities, places, and symbols.
While I first found myself reading the book from cover to cover, I now use it to look up specific subjects relating to the Templars. I find the guide very thorough for that purpose, and, as an experienced traveler, I find especially valuable Appendix E, the Selected List of Templar Sites. While Dr. Ralls' Bibliography is quite complete, as an avid researcher I particularly appreciate her inclusion of a section on Recommended Reading of books and articles organized by subject.
Karen Ralls is no stranger to the study of the Order of the Temple. When I decided to travel 4 years ago to England, Scotland, and France to study the sacred architecture for which the Knights are responsible, I was told to contact Dr. Ralls. I found she had not only been past deputy director of the Rosslyn Chapel Museum exhibition, but that she had been lecturing on medieval history at Oxford University. And, that's where I met up with her.
Also being a stickler for accuracy and details, Karen and I talked the same language. I got many good tips from her on where to concentrate my efforts in my own search, and I subsequently enjoyed reading her book The Templars and the Grail. Keep in mind that all this was before the arrival of the Da Vinci Code novel and movie. Dr. Ralls put me way ahead of the game, so to speak, and was instrumental in encouraging me to follow through on my lecture circuit about the meanings behind the art, architecture, and symbols of the Templars.
The Knights Templar Encyclopedia is a fitting culmination of many years of scholarly work by a fine academic historian. As I have, I think you will find it an enjoyable read as well as a stepping stone to your own further quest for knowledge about the mystical Knights of the Temple.
While this book is a milestone in the efforts of Dr. Ralls, we certainly know it will be followed by many other significant contributions from her in this field of study.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent guide on the Templar trail!, April 18 2007
By Mara Freeman - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Knights Templar Encyclopedia (Paperback)
Dr Ralls is an engaging and reliable source of information on the subject all too prone to modern myth-making. In lively and readable prose, she leads us on the trail of the Templars via solid historical evidence that avoids the marshes of speculation. Along the way, she offers us fascinating glimpses into related windows of 12th century culture and religion, including the Holy Grail, the Black Madonna and Alchemy. An excellent resource!