An Interview with George Smart

A few of months back, I was able to catch up with George Smart, the author of The Knights Templar Chronology: Tracking History's Most Intriguing Monks. Unfortunately, it has taken me forever to write this article and as a bonus for my readers, and George, I’m going to give away two copies of his book.* (check out the end of the article for contest rules)

George’s book is an easy to use reference to events surrounding the Templars. From the beginnings of the Order’s history to modern times, George meticulously lays open the evolution of the Templars. As a reference, it there nothing I’ve found that is quite as useful to anchor Templar history and crypto-history in time. George sent me a copy of the book for review, and it’s become an indispensable reference to my own work.

One would think that an author of a text like this would be teaching Medieval history in a University. Quite the contrary, George is a part-time Grail Seeker just like the rest of us. Owner of Strategic Development INC, George spends his days coaching corporate employees on the fundamentals of team work. In his spare time, his life is much different.

What would possess a successful business owner to devote his time to cataloging events of the Order? According to George, he was sitting in the Boston airport on a lay over and picked up a copy of Holy Blood, Holy Grail. George had never had any exposure to the Templars, Priory of Sion, or Renne-le-Chateau and was taken in by the possibilities the book presented. Like many of us, Baigent, Lincoln, and Leigh had opened a door way into a previously unknown secret world.

“I started to do research on the Templars and started to make notes. Before I knew it I had about 100 pages of notes. Originally, it was a reference for me to keep the Templar’s history in perspective”, said George.

Over the next eight years, George became something of an expert on the Templars. After collecting documentaries and texts on the Order, George found the need to expand his studies. His research led him to the George Washington Masonic Monument’s Library. George found a number of unique texts to round out his already exhaustive research. If you are thinking about packing up your bags and heading to Washington Monument to do your own research, you might want to call ahead. George warns that the current librarian limits access to the libraries works to scholarly types. Evidently even Brother Masons have a difficult time gaining admittance to view the library’s catalogue.

Lucky for us, George was able to gather enough information to finish his book. After the Chronology was published, George has become recognized as an authority on the Templars. George has been asked to lecture on Templar issues and has even appeared on the History Channel series Decoding the Past.

See George in a clip from the History Channel Documentary Series: Decoding the Past

When pressed about his views on the Templars and the Grail, George keeps an open mind. Believing that the Grail is primarily a metaphor for many esoteric concepts, George feels the many secrets of the Grail and the Templars are still left to be found. “After all, that’s why I began my research”, George muses.

So what’s next for George Smart? His attention has turned to those modern day Grail hunters. The project on George’s desktop relates to those like Tim Acheson and John Ritchie who are weaving their way into modern Grail lore through their own searches. At the time of the interview, George was still in the research phases of this project.

Here at Grail Seekers, we wish George all the luck in the world. With a little perseverance and hard work, who knows; maybe you’re endeavors will be chronicled in George’s next book.

*All you have to do is to accurately pinpoint a place with significance to the Knights Templar on that’s not already listed on the Grail Seekers Templar Mapping Project Map. This place can be a holding, a place connected with an event, or a place of crypto-historical significance to the Knight’s Templar. Submissions can be e-mailed to me at briankannard@hotmail.com and must include map coordinates, and a description of the place in question. The first two e-mails I get with a verified location will receive a copy of George Smart’s The Knights Templar Chronology: Tracking History's Most Intriguing Monks. Open to US residents over 18 years of age. Contest will end 13 Oct 07 if no one has claimed the prizes. Winners will be announced by 31 Oct 07.