Contrary to the statement made in this book, that the document found by the author had been "lost for four hundred years", the records of the questioning at Chinon of the Templar masters has been known to scholars for some time. It just needed a good publicist. Frale, a historian at the Vatican Archives, rediscovered the document to much interest by the press and has used it for her history of the Templars. Translated from the original Italian, Frale's history gives a generally accurate account of the history of the order, free of conspiracy and secret treasure theories. However, she is often credulous of her sources, stating that perhaps the Templars and the Grail are connected, even though the Grail is totally fictional. She also gives her own spin on some topics, which historians might debate, such as her rehabilitation of Pope Boniface VIII or her belief, based on a data base of the inquisitions, that the Templars really did spit on the cross. In an academic book, these statements would not be allowed. However, this is clearly a popular history, without citations and, therefore, while all her conclusions are unsubstantiated, the general public might well believe them because of her credentials. Readers would do better to find the solid, well-written books by Malcolm Barber, Helen Nicholson or Alain Demurger for documented information on the Templars. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less