Knights Templar Encyclopedia 
The Essential Guide to the People, Places, Events and Symbols of the Order of the Temple
By Dr. Karen Ralls
Paperback: 302 pages
Publisher: New Page Books
Language: English
ISBN - 13: 978-1-56414-926-8
Dr. Ralls latest book on the Templars is a much needed resource and one that I'm sure will please both general readers and those who are more familiar with the Templars. Over the course of 300 pages, Ralls presents a wide variety of Templar and Templar related themes in digest format, providing a quick reference on the subject at hand. Additionally there is a chronology of the history of the Order as well as lists of Grand Masters, Templar locations around the world and a much needed list of scholarly books on the Templars. Given the volume of rubbish written over the last decade, this alone is worth the price of the book.
Although I highly recommend the book, there were a few disappointments to be found between the covers. While some topics such as Freemasonry received several pages of coverage, other aspects such as the battle of Hattin of Mansurah received little coverage. Given that the book was clearly intended for a general readership, the exclusion is perhaps understandable. However, those more familiar with the Templars may be disappointed by their absence. Additionally, although the book is well illustrated I feel that a few more images could have been used. For example the entry on the Templar Beauséant does not have even an illustration of what the device looked like.
However, the pros far outweigh the cons and the Knights Templar Encyclopedia is well worth picking up.
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