The Knights Templars #621602

The Knights Templars by Charles G. Addison was first published in 1852. It is a comprehensive view of the Templars, a Catholic military order founded in 1118. Addison explores the origins of the order, information about Hugh de Payens, the Crusades, the London Temples, the riches they acquired and their eventual downfall. With their distinctive white cloaks with a red cross, the Templars became one of the wealthiest groups in 12th- and 13th-century Europe. In fact, it was their wealth that caused them to disband in 1312 after King Philip IV of France pressured Pope Clement V because he was so indebted to them. Taking advantage of rumors of secret initiation ceremonies and a growing distrust of the order, the king saw a way to destroy them and cancel his debt.