THE TEMPLARS AND THE GRAIL: Knights of the Quest. Karen Ralls, Wheaton (Illinois), Quest Books, Paperback, 261 pages, £18.99. ISBN 0-8356-0807-7.

Dr. Karen Ralls is attempting something with this book which is long overdue: to take an openminded look at the history, influence and mysteries of the Knights Templar in conjunction with a review of subsequent legends, many of which are still being generated today. Especially she explores the connection with the legend of the Holy Grail. This began during the Templars’ own lifetime: it was an issue since the early thirteenth century when Wolfram von Eschenbach made an Order called the Templeisen the guardians of the Holy Grail.
    In these aspirations Dr. Ralls is generally successful in parts but her book is marred by an over-abundance of subheadings and many quotes containing information which could very easily have been integrated into the text since they are simply descriptive; their incidence seems increasingly eccentric as one progresses.
    The latter part of the book provides a useful review of modern theories about the Templars. While some of the works discussed seem reasonable, others run very close to the edge and a few seem to have leapt madly into the abyss; nevertheless, she treats all with the same level of seriousness. Certainly, so obscure are some of these theories – Templars obtaining gold from the mines of Aztec Mexico, Templars burying treasure at Oak Island, Nova Scotia - that without her efforts we would probably never know of them; whether there is any use in doing so, whether they are adding information or fantasy, is not a matter she addresses. And here is the major deficiency of the book: I should like to know whether these theories have any validity at all.
    Despite my criticisms, this work can be usefully read by anyone interested in the Knights Templar and the shadowy mysteries which have accumulated about them over the centuries. Readers though will need to bring their own sense of discrimination to the book since it provides none. Neither will readers get any answers but they will at least understand that the mysteries associated with the Templars are more extensive and more wild than they suspected and that the obscuring shadows stretch far further. In the end though, I suspect, readers will find themselves longing for some light: some hard data, some facts.
    Michael Baigent