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Afternoon all.

Does anyone have any recommendations on well-researched but readable books on the Cathars/Knights Templar/Magdalene connections to Languedoc? Similar vein: which is the best book on the unmasking of the Priory of Sion (sic) scam from the 50s?

PLEASE no-one mention Dan Brown or I may chew my arm off. And that would make an awful mess.


Thanks!!

I have seen a book called The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury might be what you're looking for.

Thanks Sunshine; unfortunately that's a prime example of exactly the sort of book I'm NOT looking for. Not looking for DVC-type fiction, I'm after the historian/expert stuff.

Really good of you to try to help, though!

Not sure if these are any good, I've read these and am selling them on to get some more Templar style books although tbh I think people have listed them cheaper than mine when I last looked lol.

Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince - The Templar Revelation
I found it very interesting in a non DVC way.

Laurence Gardner - The Magdalene Legacy
Also very interesting.

Thanks, nefertaya.

These don't really have the Templar connection but are the best books I've read about the Cathars...

Zoe Oldenbourg - Massacre at Montsegur or
Stephen O'Shea - The Perfect Heresy
Have read both and they give historical background to the Cathars and aren't too heavy going to read.

Rene Weis - The Yellow Cross - A good if somewhat dense book telling the story of the last Cathars from the Inquisitional Records in the Vatican.

Hope this helps...

Ihave a book in my collection The Knights Templar by Sean Martin.
He's a renowned historian and 'expert' on the subject and was recently on TV in a documentary.
There ar 3 copies available at GreenM.

Montaillou
Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie

The classic book on the subject of the Cathars is "Montaillou". I read it in the seventies and loved it.

I read a book 3 years back called the Tomb of God. It dealt more with the secrets hidden within renaissance paintings and a bit about the Templars. Not a light read by any stretch, but very interesting IMO.
Here is a link to Amazon for a review.

http:www.amazon.com/Tomb-God-Solution-000-Year-Old-Mystery/dp/0316042757

I agree with Kirsty Girl - Montaillou is the definitive history of the Cathars
For a different take on the topic (and well researched historically) you might look at Kate Mosse's novel "Labyrinth"

I have just returned from Canal du Midi, Carcassonne en pays Cathare. Adjacent to the Lock Le Somail, was the largest second hand book shop I have seen in France. Very organised and well staffed and well turned out. I assume the tourist bureaux of which there are many would supply their website as they were certainly on line. Ask Google to recommend titles, then ask this emporium for advice.They even had an outside for FREE department and an honesty section, self service when closed. You may know all this intimately or even own the book shop, for all I know

Yellow Cross
Rene J.A. Weis

There is a copy of Yellow Cross in stock

Just another (string of asterisks)who asks and never returns This site wont even let me represent naughties

Thank you for your helpful post, marie. It is true that after returning, and thanking, the original posters I was inordinately busy for both work and personal reasons and did not have time to read (any) forums. I admit to having forgotten that I had posted this until you so kindly bumped it to the front page.

To all whom I haven't yet thanked, thanks! I did turn up several books last year, but Montaillou and foreigntex's ideas will be certainly be followed up. Many apologies for not replying before.

Sorry, I was all snarled up about those who ask questions when very new and never return. I did not think you were in that category. I had only recently visited Carcassonne for the first time and was quite overwhelmed. I could not understand why every nook and cranny had not been the backdrop for some T.V.series or film. Conceitedly, I thought ' It was too incredible to be undiscovered by me'.
Have you heard the BBC Radio 4 Programme on The Bouquinistes by The Seine today? I bet it was your prog!

No I didn't hear it - wish I had! Thanks for the tip though, will hunt to see if it's still available as a podcast.

Hello

For the Knights Templar try Supremely Abominable Crimes - The Trial of the Knight Templar by Edward Burman, on sale, by me, from this site. It's accessible academic history mainly drawn from inquisitorial records. Nice looking large format paperback - not sure why the cover art isn't in the database. Proper history with facts, dates and evidence: Dan Brown would not approve. I think the scholarly consensus would be that the Cathars and Templars didn't have much in common other than both groups variously contriving to get themselves onto the wrong side of both the Inquisition and the nascent French state. If you're interested in other sensible histories drawn from inquisitorial records (in Italy) have a look at items by Carlo Ginsberg including The Cheese and the Worms and The Night Battles. (I'm not selling my copies of these). Who needs esoteric cobblers with Tom Hanks in? This sort of thing is much more interesting.