The Templars And The Assassins

• An examination of the interactions of the Christian Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins, and of the profound changes in Western society that resulted. • Restores the reputation of the secret Muslim order of the Assassins, disparaged as the world's first terrorist group. • Dispels many myths about the Knights Templar and provides the most incisive portrait of them to date. A thousand years ago Christian battled Muslim for possession of a strip of land upon which both their religions were founded. These Crusades changed the course of Western history, but less known is the fact that they also were the meeting ground for two legendary secret societies: The Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins. In The Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven, occult scholar and secret society member James Wasserman provides compelling evidence that the interaction of the Knights Templar and the Assassins in the Holy Land transformed the Templars from the Pope's private army into a true occult society, from which they would sow the seeds of the Renaissance and the Western Mystery Tradition. Both orders were destroyed as heretical some seven hundred years ago, but Templar survivors are believed to have carried the secret teachings of the East into an occult underground, from which sprang both Rosicrucianism and Masonry. Assassin survivors, known as Nizari Ismailis, flourish to this day under the spiritual leadership of the Aga Khan. Wasserman strips the myths from both groups and penetrates to the heart of their enlightened beliefs and rigorous practices, delivering the most probing picture yet of these holy warriors.

Bursting with timelines, concept art, locations, history, character profiles, and technology, this is the ultimate guide to the milennia-long struggle between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order. The covert war between two secret organizations, the Templars order and the Brotherhood of the Assassins, has been raging for millennia. Packed with beautiful images and featuring the latest lore, "Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide," explores the major characters, technology, key historical settings, and epic story of this conflict. Encompassing the entire franchise, Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide is both an ideal introduction and the perfect guide to the Assassin's Creed universe, full with facts on: -The Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar order -The First Civilisation -Technology and Weapons -Historical Settings and Locations -The Present day storyline

Dan Jones narrates in his inimitably vivid and authoritative fashion the remarkable story of the Knights Templar. 'Exhilarating, epic, sword-swinging history' TLS 'Jones is certainly an entertainer, but also a fine historian who knows how to render serious scholarship into accessible prose' The Times 'Another triumphant tale from a historian who writes as addictively as any page-turning novelist' Observer 'When it comes to rip-roaring medieval narratives, Jones has few peers, and in the Templars he finds the perfect subject' Sunday Times The Knights Templar were the wealthiest, most powerful – and most secretive – of the military orders that flourished in the crusading era. Their story – encompassing as it does the greatest international conflict of the Middle Ages, a network of international finance, a swift rise in wealth and influence followed by a bloody and humiliating fall – has left a comet's tail of mystery that continues to fascinate and inspire historians, novelists and conspiracy theorists.

In 1927, Darius Gift, young, handsome, terribly entitled, is given his first mission for the ancient Templar Order, and the chance to clear his tarnished family name. All doesn't quite go to plan when he arrives in Shanghai, however, and his inexperience jeopardizes the whole operation. Thankfully, he isn't the only Templar new to the city, as the enigmatic Black Cross is stalking the shadows... and saving Darius from failure! Collecting the first arc of the brand new explosive Templars series, from the world of Assassin's Creed, Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero offer a new perspective on the century-spanning feud between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order!

In "Last Descendants," Owen and a group of other teens located the first piece of an ancient and powerful relic long considered a legend-the Trident of Eden. This piece was sought by the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Templar Order, but before either organization could take the piece, it was stolen by an unknown, third party. The tenuous relationship between Owen and the teens fractured, with some taking sides with the Templars, and others with the Assassins. "Last Descendants" book 2 picks up weeks after the events of book 1. There are still two pieces of the Trident of Eden to find, and both groups are determined to not repeat their mistakes. The next piece is said to have been buried with Mongol Warlord Genghis Khan, whose tomb has never been found. Now the teens on either side of the conflict will have to go deep into simulations in war-torn Mongolian China in a race against time to discover the next piece, and ensure their safety, before the others.

A tale of initiation, adventure, and romance set within the medieval Crusades • Shares in novel form the mystical rituals and techniques of the Nizari Ismailis (the legendary Assassins) communicated to selected Knights Templar during the Crusades • Shows how the Gnostic traditions of the Cathars and Nizaris were blended to become the core of the “heretical” doctrines for which the Templars were later condemned • Sheds light on the contemporary conflict between Islam and the West and offers a natural path of reconciliation between these disparate cultures Set within the dramatic tableau of the medieval Crusades, this story of initiation, adventure, and romance follows members of the Knights Templar and Assassins as they discover a mystical tradition with the potential to unify, protect, and liberate humankind--the very heresy for which the Knights Templar were later condemned. The tale begins with a young Persian student, Sinan, as he witnesses his teacher deliver the heretical Qiyama proclamation, seeking to abolish Islamic religious law in favor of a more mystical approach to spirituality. After completing his initiation into the revolutionary doctrines and practices of the Assassins--also known as the Nizari Ismailis or Hashishim--Sinan is appointed head of the Nizaris in Syria. Years later, after Sinan has become a wise and respected leader, he encounters Roland de Provence, a young member of the Knights Templar. Impressed by his courage and intelligence, Sinan selects him for initiation into the Nizari tradition. As readers follow Sinan and Roland through the process, they experience firsthand the transmission of these secret teachings and the paranormal, even magical powers of the Assassin adepts. Roland braves hashish journeys, mystical rituals, and divine epiphanies, as well as sexual awakening at the hands of Sinan’s beautiful consort Aisha. When Roland completes his education with Sinan, he vows to share the Nizari teachings with his fellow Templars. However, he is met with strong opposition from his Templar commander, and factions within the Order quickly arise. As we follow Roland to southern France, we witness how he blends the Cathar and Nizari traditions to form the core of the “heresy” for which the Templars were later arrested and condemned. Now an outlaw, hunted by his Templar brethren, Roland is forced to choose between the beliefs with which he was raised and the realizations of his own personal truths. Bringing to life the historical truths of his expertly researched bestseller The Templars and the Assassins, James Wasserman artfully traces the evolution of the Western Esoteric Tradition during the fertile cultural interactions of the Crusades. His story also sheds light on the modern conflict between Islam and the West--which began a thousand years ago--and offers a natural path of reconciliation between our disparate cultures.