Reviews Of Nobly Born



"There is an amazing amount of information in this little book, and some very fine illustrations as well. The book is the work of a scholar (who also happens to be a very good writer) and avoids sensationalism—and the story is sensational enough by itself. This is not the typical Templar book. In his review of the book, Christopher Hodapp (see his book below) wrote: '[It is] a concise, historical examination of what is truly known about the Knights Templar, going back to medieval sources. Their formation, rise, organizations, battles, failures, and fall.'"

"He also remarks that it is fun to read, an opinion I strongly second. This is a really good book on the topic. Reading this after reading many of the Templar books out there is like a glass of fresh cold spring water when you have been drinking chocolate syrup.

"One of the most interesting parts of the book is the chapter that describes the daily life of the Templar in the convent. We forget that the Knights were also monks, subject to a religious rule written by St. Bernard. The description of the day-to-day tasks and activities gives a sense of reality to the Templars which is usually missing. It puts a very human face on those we usually think of simply as warriors.

"That chapter contrasts nicely with the chapter that describes the military structure of the Order when in the field. Together, the two give us the image of men who lived a life of extremes, conditioned and modified by the constraints of faith and tradition.

"This plays into another advantage in the book. It focuses both on the Knights Templar as people and on the great cultural/historical forces of which they were a part and which ultimately destroyed them. A chapter describes their rise to power economically and also in favor with the Pope; while another chapter describes their downfall after the defeat in the Holy Land. There is an almost horrible sense of the working-out of destiny. That does not mean that the book deals in emotionalism, however. It is scholarly, but a fascinating read.

"For a true understanding of the Templars—warts, haloes, and all, this is the best book I know. An excerpt can be found in this issue of the Scottish Rite Journal."

Jim Tresner
The Scottish Rite Journal



"Stephen has managed to do something fresh in the Templar book universe, and 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, presented with Stephen's skill as a reporter, combined with his flair for making complex concepts easy to understand, and frankly, fun to read. A cursory flip 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. 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.

This is truly unlike any other Templar book on the market, and well worth its £19.99 ($33) cover price."

Chris Hodapp
Author of Templar Code for Dummies



"There have been many books written about the Knights Templar in recent years. Unfortunately the vast majority of them are speculative and have perpetuated myths about the Templars that were created almost as soon as the Order ceased to exist. Please forget them, the most are rubbish.

"On the contrary this book deals with the actual history of the Order derived largely from primary source materials. But Nobly Born is not only a book about the Knights Templar "tout court", it is a book about the world in which they existed and operated.

"And what about the connection between Freemasons and Knights Templar? The idea that modern Freemasonry is a direct descendant of the order of the Temple via a group of Templars who took refuge in Scotland after the dissolution of the order in 1307, is one that refuses to die in spite of lack of proven evidence.

"The final chapter of this book deals with this oax and widely explains why there are no connections beetwen the fall of the Templars and the origins of modern Freemasonry and how the Templarism was incorporated in some Masonic high degrees systems.

"The book is enriched and well illustrated by original drawings, cartography and photos of Templar locations."

Bruno Virgilio Gazzo
Editor, PS Review of FM



"Stephen Dafoe, is one of the leading authorities on the Knights Templar, his website `Templar History' is the principal internet resource for Templar studies. This vast resource has been distilled into `Nobly Born', full colour throughout with great attention to detail, if you wanted an accurate and comprehensive account of the Templars this is the one to buy."

Simon Brighton
Author In Search of the Knights Templar