Stephen Dafoe, publisher of Templar History magazine, has managed to do something fresh in the Templar universe, and both beginners and those thoroughly versed in Templar lore alike will find much to like about this book. Dreamers and "speculators" take note: this is no "Templars found treasure, sailed to Scotland, saved Robert the Bruce, started Freemasonry and hid their loot at Oak Island" waste of time. What it IS is a concise (deceptively thin-looking), historical examination of what is truly known about the Knights Templar, going back to medieval sources. Their formation, rise, organization, battles, failures and fall -- all here, deftly presented with Dafoe's skill as a reporter, combined with his flair for making complex concepts easy to understand, and frankly, fun to read.

A glance through Nobly Born rewards you with an abundance of illustrations, many of them newly created by Stephen, showing battles, preceptories, troop movements, uniforms, hierarchy and more. It is informative, concise and entertaining -- all packaged in a truly beautiful edition by Lewis Masonic.

The book also features original artwork from Templar author and artist Gordon Napier and Indiana Masonic artist Brother Stephen McKim, along with a forward by "Rosslyn Hoax" author Robert L. D. Cooper, curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland's Museum and Library.

This is truly unlike any other Templar book on the market. ( )