Standard of Honor - A Templar Novel by Jack Whyte

I first got addicted to Jack Whyte from his Camulod series about King Arthur. Jack Whyte is very thorough in his attention to historical detail which really brings the mystery of other times to life. It's like traveling without the airfare.

Standard of Honor is Book Two of the Templar Trilogy. In Book One of the Templar Trilogy, Knights of the Black and White, Jack Whyte explored the origins of "one of the most the mysterious and secretive aspects of medieval history: the Knights Templar" (The Vancouver Sun). Now he returns to the inner workings of that secret society to discover the price men are willing to pay for faith. Standard of Honor goes from the blood and guts of war, to the strategies and plots of Kings, to the political machinations of their Knights to examine what drove the crusades and the Knights Templar's place in them.

Honor is a vague and misplaced concept in our current society. Its inspiring to go back to those difficult times, in the midst of one of the major conflicts in the history of the world, to see men taking a stand for themselves and what they believe in with true honor. With widely varying expressions and definitions, honor is one of the few things that can be truly personal. This is a fascinating exploration into history, religion, culture, morals and the lack thereof that calls for the very best in humanity even in the presence of the very worst.

Both an insightful look into the vagaries of war and a slice into the ever present drama of humanity, Standard of Honor thrills. Whether in his interpretation of the mission of the Crusades, his retelling of the strength of the leaders on both sides of the war or in his rendition of the search for faith Jack Whyte holds true to the historical lay of the land in a way that is both fasicnating and rewarding. Amazing battle scenes, great tactics and strategy on one hand make this an epic war book. Gay Kings and their choices to deliver the required heir, Queens who scheme for love, sex and the strength of the royal line, Knights willing to die for God and those lesser stationed who meerly strive to serve and stay alive all struggle with the conflicting demands life, loyalty and faith. That combined with an insightful look into the similarities and differences of some of the widest spread world religions, the earlier years of the seemingly endless wars in the Middle East, the secrets and beliefs of the Knights Templar make for great weekend reading. At 774 pages, I wished there were more. I'll just pretend to have patience waiting for Book Three: Order in Chaos. That sounds right up my alley.

For those interested in the History of the Knights Templar, here are some of the books Jack Whyte used most as reference for this book:
Les sites Templier de France - Templar Sites in France - by Jean-Luc Audbarbier and Michael Binet
Arab Historians of the Crusades by Francesco Gabrieli (the 1993 Barnes & Noble edition of the classic 1957 Italian compilation of Arab commentaries and insights into the Crusades "from the other side"
The Knights Templar, Stephen Howarth, 1982, republished in 1993 by Barnes & Noble
Bible and Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour, Barbara Tuchman, New York University Press, 1956, republished in 1993 by Ballantine Books
The New Knighthood: A History of the Order of the Temple, Malcolm Barber, Cambridge University Press, 1994
The Templars, Piers Paul Read, Phoenix Press, 2001
Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade, James Reston Jr., Anchor Books, 2001
The Templars: Knights of God, Edward Burman, Destiny Books, 1986

From the Standard of Honor book cover:
"Order memeber Sir Henry St. Clair is challenged by Richard the Lionheart to join his army and free the Holy Land from the grip of the Saracens. Though wary of Richard's motives, Sir Henry agrees, for his future - and that of his son, a rising knight in the Order - rests on his allegiance to the king. With one ally, his cousin Alexander, already in the Holy Land, Sir Henry agrees to serve as Master-at-Arms. But from the moment the Third Crusade sets foot in the Holy Land, the political and personal intrigues of Crusade leaders bring the St. Clair family - and the fate of the Order - to the edge of disaster."

Standard of Honor Reviews:
"A rich trove of Templar lore...few authors can match Whyte when it comes to epic battle scenes" - Publisher's Weekly

"Fabulous historical fiction" - Midwest Book Review

"Whyte [is] a Master." - Booklist

"This is Jack Whyte at better than his best." - Diana Gabaldon (About Book One of the Templar Trilogy: Knights of the Black and White)

Jack Whyte Biographical Info (inside jacket):
Jack Whyte is the author of the immensely popular Camulod series, a four-generation saga of the rise and fall of King Arthur, which has been translated into many languages. Born and raised in Scotland, he has lived for many years in Canada, working as an English teacher, a professional actor and singer, an advertising executive, and, always a writer. Whyte now lives with his wife, Beverly, in British Columbia, where he is at work on a third novel in the Knights Templar trilogy. Visit his website at www.jackwhyte.com or www.templartrilogy.com