Montségur and the Mystery of the Cathars Paperback – September 2, 2003

Overall Markale shows just how knowledgeable he is regarding the philosophy, theology and the history behind one of the most captivating and perhaps most misunderstood movement in medieval European society of Southwest France, the Cathar movement. It reads like a scholarly work, but he does go by experience. He describes the place in great detail and is wonderfully intuitive as far as the culture, geography and even the spirit of the place goes. He doesn't get bogged down with citing references outside of his own first hand knowledge and I think this is why some reviewers have given this book a lower rating.The book is essentially divided into two parts. The first part deals mainly with the history and geography of the place. The second half deals with the philosophical/theological aspects. I have found the second to be very interesting, but the first part has it's moments to where I wanted to throw the book out the window. In other words, it is very challenging read at best. Throughout the book, the reader needs to take it slow, because there is a lot of gems to be mined in both parts and it does take time to let it all sink in.I got the softcover edition and it is of durable quality. The type and font make it easy on the eyes. This is a book that will last a while. It isn't a book that will lay flat on a table unless one is reading in or near the center of the book, so it does need to be held, at least to one side in order for the book not to close in on itself.If one is interested in an in-depth knowledge of the Cathars and in their entire context, I would recommend this book as an authoritative work. If one is seeking just a general reference on this subject, the reader would do better elsewhere. It is a very meaty book and is one of the most challenging I've ever read. Mr. Markale is very thorough in what he writes, so in a lot of places, it does appear that he is going on and on and on about seemingly trivial matters, but that is what makes this book a great resource for anyone interested in philosophy, Persian theology, Christianity, topography, history and culture of this corner of the planet.

I have always been interested in The Cathars and have spent much time and money attempting to understand them and why they were persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church in the 13th Century. I bought this book as a prelude to another visit to the Languedoc this year to get back up to speed on the area and the subject again.The first three chapters describe “The Inquisition” which really started in the 13th Century in this region. It describes the various castles besides Montsegur in the region which I have previously visited. If the reader has never been to this region, this part of the text would be marginally comprehensible.In the second portion of the book a line of ascending decent from early gnostics in the 3rd Century, to the Bogomils, and ending in a direct line to the Cathars is revealed. Here the author links chronologically the evolution of dualism to the Cathars thus setting up the reader for the final portion, Part 3, The Cathar Enigma.”The final portion of the book is a comparative philosophy of the other cults found in the Montsegur area: Celt, Solar Cult, Norse, and The Grail proponents. This material becomes somewhat complicated for the novice and scholar. The symbolism from various regional stories and tales presented are very difficult to keep up with and integrate. The Grail Chapter was most confusing to me for I am not a Grail believer and have not been interested in the 12th Century stories emanating from France and Germany regarding the object. I found this portion very confusing.The reader needs to remember this book is a translation of French to English by Jon Graham and he does a good job. The book as described previously is divided into three almost equal parts: The Sights; Who Were The Cathars; and The Cathar Enigma. The book, written in conversational style, possesses limited references as in foot notes. It appears the author dictated this work from his vast knowledge of the subject.

This book is about dualism. A dualism is created when a human thinks about two antagonistic principles such as God/Satan, good/evil, light/darkness, mind/body, etc. Markale is a teacher. People who are beginners on the subject of dualism will certainly benefit from Markale's rather simple style of writing. Markale's book focuses on the dualisms used by the Carthars. The thought of the Cathars are very similar to the thoughts of Christians. Unfortunately, the thoughts of the Cathars were silenced by the Inquisition.I recommend this book because the current good/evil dualism of Christianity is being rejected rapidly by keen Christians. This failing dualism of Christianity, which is also known as Original Sin, is the good/evil story of Adam and Eve told by Moses in the Genesis. Along with the rapid rejection of this Christian dualism, the Christian theory of eschatology will also be rejected by these keen Christians. The loss of the Christian theory of eschatology means that our world has no end, which means that Heaven and Hell are false ideas. All Christian should consider this book in order to prepare for the radical changes that are certain to come in Christianity soon.

Historically this book connects all the known fact and identifies the rumours surrounding the Cathars. I enjoy reading this authors works and am currently reading another of his books ' The Celts'. Fascinating information about the site of Montsegur and the peoples involved showing the evolution of the rumours that surround it. A excellent read.

Still reading this book, it is facinating that this whole area is connected with underground caves, many of which are still concealed or caved in, and the amount of History that this area still has. How these Castle like buildings were even built onto of these Mountains is unbelievable.

I am pleased with the book and the delivery service.

Some authors, whether writing fiction or non-fiction, have the gift of making what they say flow and read easily so that even the most complex of subjects can be comprehensively explained. This is a gift not shared by this author. There's no doubting the research he has done, but his writing is stilted, erratic and often difficult to understand because he frequently appears to assume his readers already possess extensive knowledge of the subject he is discussing. He refers to topics and information that he never explains or discusses because of this apparent assumption, which is frustrating at best and incompetent at worst. He also occasionally wafts off into flights of fancy or fantasy that are entirely inappropriate in a book of this type. In summary, the facts and research were interesting and helpful, but the writing made reading the book such hard going that I couldn't even finish it. Not recommended.

This is a superb book - it's well organised and comprehensive, clearly written and explained. I particularly enjoyed the fact that it does not sensationalise; it is a factual account. It starts with 'the Sights' about the region, with emphasis on Montsegur and a similar castle, Queribus. It gives a clear account of the historical context and makes sense of the complex movements against the Cathars in the early 1200s. The second section looks at five heretic areas of belief and the third section is called 'The Cathar Enigma'. relating Catharism to its mdoern context. It examines various areas of belief that are linked with the Cathars, including Druidism, the possibilities of a solar cult and, of course, the Holy Grail. I found this interesting and relevant to anyone who wants to know more about the Cathars and less about sensational theories.

Great read about a forgotten part of history. A time when the Catholic Church (in the name of God) caused to be slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent people. They had a better understanding of Gods mercy than ever their supposedly Holy Church had. Recommend

Excellent, well researched and very detailed account to the Cathars, earlier gnostic sects and the Montsegur area. A must have book for all those interested in the truth about Christianity and the suppression of those carrying on the true traditions of the early church.