The Templar Knight
The Crusades Trilogy, Book 2

By Jan Guillou
       

Well, what is to say about this book but that it was NOT what I thought it was going to be. I guess that I am a serious Knights Templar junkie/admirer and one of those that have several books about the Templar's lining my walls and floors in my home and I guess that this book was not for me.

To say I am disappointed is an understatement of the most horrific proportions. I really didn't have any idea of the nature of this book by Jan Guillou as I never read the preceding book by him, and only latched onto the title. I love most of the various Knights Templar books, but this one was more or less about the Muslim influences of the Templar's, which I have never really read that much about and DON'T LIKE at all. If the writing of a good book is to make the reader very uncomfortable, then he succeeds very well.

The book does give a lot of action and is very well written. It is easy to read, if you don't look to closely at the reality of the Muslim heritage and what it means to be a true believer of the Muslim faith, in the historically correct way. You might want to think of the hero Arn Magnusson as a modern day Arnold Schwarznegger, for Guillou really did place Arnold (the invincible) into that persona, which isn't all a bad thing. I love some of the depictions of the Saracens and Saladin and the capturing of Jerusalem in the 12th Century. Much of the story is based on historical fact, which is good, but fact leaves a lot to be desired when you have something as all enveloping as the very real and historically documented Knights Templar (God's Warriors). You will get insight into the current problems in Gaza and with the Israelites vs. the Muslims. There is much to recommend this book, but it is not to be read with a searching mind for more reality-based truth about the historically correct Templar Knights. Good book, just don't take it too serious and start screaming at it like I did.