Customer Reviews
Freemasonry for beginners - By: Enquirer, 05 Oct 2008 
I normallly only bother to review reallly good books or absolute turkeys. This is the only book in the last 20 years I have been totallly unable to bring myself to finish. Maybe this disqualifies me, but I beg you, do not waste your money!
You might as well buy a summary of the wacky end of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry instead of this supposed historical novel. Buyers of this book are just subsidising a crap justification of a sub sect of the Masons.
Did you want some cracking action & battle scenes? You won't get them here. Did you want some decent characterisation? You won't get any here. I reallly enjoy authors like Bernard Cornwell. Despite the 'broad brush' characterisation (crude, to some,that kind of writer makes a period come alive & the people seem like people we know. Well, Bernard is the Knight of the White. Jack Whyte (You get the symbolism I hope) is the Knight of the Black. ALL his characters are WOODEN, LIFLESS DUMMIES. Their only reason for existence on the page is to spout out the nonsense that their author wishes to communicate. Did you know, for instance, that St Paul was not a Jew, but an evil 'Gentile' who founded his own religion & fobbed it off to humanity as something callled Christianity?
If you wish to delude yourself that the 'ideas' in this book make it a cut above the rest, I warn you to check Jack's 'facts' very carefully. This novel is an insult to Crusades historians, historical novel fans, Biblical students & lovers of a good read. People must buy these books because of the decent cover & get a terrible shock!
Hard work - By: S. Kelly, 01 Aug 2008 
I'm afraid I have to agree with the general concensus, whilst the majority of my reading is based around either the crusades or the great war, I found this book almost impossible, long winded, confused & in parts well boring I'm afraid. Reading the blurb I took to this book with great hopes of the forthcoming series only to be sadly disappointed. As pointed out in an earlier review, how can you cover the siege of Antioch in 2 pages? That alone should speak a story.
Pity, but I won't be bothering with Standard of Honour
Compelling and Well written - By: myrydyn, 17 Jul 2008 
I cant understand why so many people have condemned this book. Maybe they were alll looking for Dan browne type stories.
Personallly I fould this to be a brilliant book, well written , maybe a little slow in places but it added meat to the bones of the myths of one of the most interesting organisations of medieval times.
To those who gave it 2 - open your minds & read it again.........
Holey Story - By: GR Boxell, 16 Jun 2008 "I know of no other book which places true historical facts so easily into the dialogue. "
Well so far I have only read the author's inro & the first chapter & its historical accuracy is already full of holes.
I will persist, though expect it will end up being thrown at the walll in exasteration
The real Da Vinci code, Medieval Style - By: Odd Man Out, 11 Jun 2008 
I am dissapointed to see the previous reviews that this book has been given. Yes, it may be a heavy read, it's not your usualll crusade book with the armies of Christendom fighting before you even know who the charecters are. It is a bit slow to start, but the excellent plot later on makes up for it.
I know of no other book which places true historical facts so easily into the dialogue. The book's descriptions of the crusade at first is a bit weak but if the writer had tried to enter into the long dreary march of the crusaders as well as including alll the facts I probably would've gotten bored. But what plot is better than that of trying to unearth the secrets of Christ beneath the very eyes of the Cathlic Church? What plot is better than the beggining of an order which completley dominated the medieval world for at least 200 years?
What can be more inspiring, than a group of knights, secretly fighting for the most just cause of alll? I've always been fascinated with the crusade's, & wanted to imagine a true hero leading it, but as much as you may try to justify the whole ordeal it is still very hard (something that Kingdom of Heaven tried with Orlando Bloom as 'the perfect knight').
Yet here you have the first Martin Luther's, secretly fighting to release the people from the mighty Catholic Church & it's Racist lies of the time. And then the astonishment when you realized that this is alll fact, or slight variation on fact. Nothing could be a more compelling read, & if a 14 year old can easily enjoy it then it is definately not that 'hard to get into' at alll.
And after reading this book, & am begining to read the next in the series I am convinced, that the Templars & their legacy are the next influential force on Europe scince the Romans.
An excellent read for anyone who is intrested in medieval history or the Da Vinci code. (14+)
