The book by the English scientist M. Barbsra is dedicated to one of the most scandalous events in European history - the famous trial, which at the beginning of the 14th century. the French king Philip IV and the papal Inquisition led against the knightly order of the Templars (templars) on charges of grave heresy (denial of Christ, idolatry, sodomy, etc.). As a result, the richest and most powerful order of the Christian world, which had a history of almost two hundred years, was defeated and ceased to exist. Hundreds of years have passed, but to this day the order has both ardent supporters and fierce opponents. M. Barber's book - one of the most authoritative studies in the world and the first publication in Russian - restores the real picture of what happened; Relying on vast documentary and scientific material, the author reveals the background and true reasons for the destruction of the order.