Rating: 
Summary: Beware, this will probably be an expensive buying...
Review: Almost all is said in the many reviews given here. As one can read, a highly controversial book (at least at the time of publishing) on the roots of Christianity, the life of Jesus, Maria Magdalene, the disciples etc.
The book itself can't be put away before you finish it, a makes-you-think-book, and quite eye-opening thoughts in it.
The very least this book 'does', is making you aware that the Holy Bible as it is 'compiled' today (by voting! The word of God may very well be the word of Constantine c.s.), could have had a very different contents, only if... I like to finish with the remark that this book will probably prove to be an 'expensive buying'. Some of you will, like me, want to read more, and more, and more about these alternative thoughts on Christianity and its roots. You might end up with a library full of all kinds of books, even very loosely, linked to it. Be it Freemasonry, Rennes-Le-Chateau, Nag Hammadi (dead sea scrolls), etc. etc. Personally, I loved it :-)
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting read - has some truth, but full of mistakes!!
Review: Summary:
HBHG is interesting, hard to put down (although sometimes wordy), and has some good information. But, its dangers are that it APPEARS to be well researched with deep thought, but reality is poorly researched, poorly substantiated, with weakly thought through conclusions arrived at with leaps of logic and information. While it gives an incredible number of references, they seem skimmed over, not properly read, or used. HBHG is written to represent unsubstantiated history - or, I believe, misrepresent substantiated history. HBHG gives an interesting twist to accepted history; and compels soulful and honest research and thought. People hating Catholics, or Christians will enjoy HBHG, but must succumb to its lame research to comfort and fertilize their hates. It does bring the Catholic Church into some question, but puts no valid issue with its core Christian doctrines. Good Information:
Interesting and correct highlights: Pousson, the core story of Father Sauniere, some basic history of Rennes, some Christian beliefs (as presented by Christians). It is a major accomplishmenet that it reawakens our awareness of the symbolic meaning underlying great works of art. Visit any church in Rome, or anywhere in Europe and let your mind run wild! I did. The symbols were useful for relaying information to a population that was mostly illiterate. Bad Information:
Many, many misquotes, and, if you read through other reviews, many misrepresented misquotes. Now, for some poorly informed, and/or unsubstantiated issues, let's look at the things we can view unemotionally: Analysis of Father Sauniere:
Any junior detective could determine that Baigent missed the boat on his analysis. Father Sauniere obviously got his money from a third party source that could be turned on and off at will; and had a relationship with; a relationship that soured, then was regained. Oh, my goodness!! What close relationship in his book does Baigent completely miss???? It is straight forward! Agatha Christi and Sherlock Holmes are turning over in their graves over Baigent's miss-assumptions, and weak puzzle-solving! What is the valuable treasure???
Baigent regards it as the bloodline of Christ, and therefore the bloodline of the rightful royalty of Europe (known as the future anti-Christ to Christians). Again, Baigent misses several major points: 1 the dossier's show nothing of real value or reliable authenticity. In fact, Lincoln shows the ruse by the Priori de Sion in a later book. 2 that the true treasure of the Arthurian tales, and Templar exploits is the holy bloodline. (Don't get me wrong, this is an interesting twist). How about looking for another specific treasure (related to blood) retrieved by the Templars and brought to Rennes. (This specific item is also important to the Anti-Christ.) 3 the exact location of Baigent's (or the true treasure). Baigent blows it again. He misses the hints, directions and meanings behind the Father Sauniere's rebuilt church and garden symbolism; misses much symbolic meaning within his discussions; misses the incredibly rich symbolism of the surrounding environs of the Rennes; finally he misses some incredibly rich symbolic books written to disclose the symbolic meaning of the environs (named in Baigent's own bibliography). 4 he doesn't follow-up with some of the straight forward history of the Templars and their retreat from Jerusalem, which would have led him to significant revelations of their true treasure, and the meaning of the riddles Baigent investigates. Finally, (though there are many others) that Christ survived the crucifiction. (But, agreeing with Baigent, Christians and Jews (Talmud, Josephus,, etc) that Christ did exist and was crucified). Baigent presents several ridiculous fallacies: 1 Roman Centurions were required to carry out orders under penalty of death, yet they didn't fulfill their orders to execute Jesus. 2 Christ feigned death tricking battle hardened Centurions (remember, gladiator fights to the death originated to get soldiers used to seeing death). 3 Christ made no living response to being speared by the Centurion who did so to make certain he was dead. 4 That same Centurion mistook separated blood (clear liquid serum and pericardial fluid, and settled red blood cells) for living blood for that came out of the Christ's spear wound. 5 Christ could survive such injuries 6 All this occurred with fore-planning and intent so that he could secretly establish a Royal Bloodline. To readily put most of this theory to rest: Over 600 years no other person survived Roman crucifiction. Second, why would someone go to such trouble, when the gambit has no real payoff? And, with a "true lineage" why haven't they made an attempt to raise its secretive, and overrun status for 2,000 years? Why did Christ take his wife to Southern France, of all places? While Baigent quotes Catholic and other history from documents and resources that most people do not have access to, we can review his many biblical misquotes, (but Lincoln's "Messianic Legacy"goes to town misquoting and rewriting the bible, its passages, and straight forward interpretations). This is annoying and discrediting to the writers. The bible is too well researched with well-established translations for a "researcher" to make so many audacious mistakes. This discredits all the other areas of "research" because it demonstrates general sloppiness, and weak mindedness. Baigent misquotes/claims: 1 Lazarus is not mentioned anywhere in the four gospels except at John (he didn't look at Luke 16:20). 2 Jesus was the bridegroom at the Cana wedding; (yet it's clearly written that he was invited). 3 Jesus didn't die on the cross; (the Gospels were written prior to 70 AD - Temple destruction - Christ's death was never refuted, or refutation attempted (Talmud, Josephus, Philo, etc.) 4 Jesus lineage was a complete massacre of accepted bible research and Jewish culture (see my earlier review).
HBHG is entertaining, and can get a dedicated researcher off onto new adventures against accepted institutions and beliefs. But, it is anything but valid research. My initial review of HBHG noted a couple glaring biblical misquotes. Now, after completing substantial Rennes/Templar/Hospitalier/etc. research, I am negative towards Baigent's research, his intellectual honesty, or at least his intellectual powers. But, still a good read!
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN!!!
Review: This book is the best non-fiction book ever created. Now I did not read all of the book yet but it is great! It is written wonderfully and extremely interesting. It wil knock any Catholic/Christian of their feet. It also shows me how political religion is. It is horrible that it is so political but this book is magnificent. It describes how Jesus Christ maybe did not dy at the cross. And how he might have a bloodline and there are secret societies protecting these secrets. If you don't have this book get it at a library or buy it now! I am not joking either.
Rating:
Summary: If you like a good yarn...
Review: ...you'll really enjoy this. Take every word in the book with a grain -- no make that a full shaker -- of salt, otherwise you'll wind up wearing a bedsheet and living in a cave in the woods for the rest of your life, emerging only to dig for treasure under Rosslyn Chapel. Still, there's some interesting information in here, particularly regarding early European pre-Christian cults, and enough circular references to King Arthur, Poussin, and the Goddess Diana to make your hair stand on end from time to time.
Rating:
Summary: The Holy Blood And Holy Grail
Review: Dear Amazon:
I found this book quite interesting, the information that Amazon.com has in this packet has put a new spin on very old and interesting legends. First of all, my own last name and the interesting details of King Clovis has significance.....Clovis was the protectors of two boys whom would be kings of England in the early 200's AD, my last name in Irish is "Brehon", or the Family Of The Runes, basically the Family whom wrote the Runes.
This King Clovis protected Uther and Aurelius whom if legend serves right became the Kings Of Britian, Aurelius first then his younger brother Uther next after Aurelius was poisoned. Anyone whom has read the 3 books of the Pendragon Cycle by Author Stephen R. Lawhead knows that this history from the 200's-600'sAD set the stage for the very rise of the Kings Of England clearing on into Robin Hood's time to the present Monarch of England we have now. I am a genealogist and spent 7 years studying my family tree of the Real Brewster Family Line, since I am the last......much of our ancestry is not traced from 300 years ago only from 300 years ago not before it, this information puts a fresh new look on this.
Rating:
Summary: an absolute must for conspiracy buffs
Review: just read it--its not an anti church book like it has been portrayed by some groups--it is an open minded search for somthing that they never actuly found... quite zen.
Rating: 
Summary: Facts or fiction ' it raises questions anyway
Review: By now it should be clear that this book raises controversy. Read it as a novel and you have a detective who follows clues from present time to Jesus time and back to the present. In the process Free Masons, Templars, and other secretive groups are tied together with the faith of Jesus. Read it as facts and you have a historical interpretation based on a lot of unorthodox research and conjectures. Other reviewers have pointed out some of the shortcomings according to established science, and the authors admit to their controversy in the beginning of the book. In the end their conclusion questions the faith of Jesus as described in the New Testament, which forms the basis for Christianity. It is up to you to decide what you take for facts and for fiction.
Never the less as a person with Christian background the book made me for the first time look into the history of Christianity and raised questions of as to why certain scriptures were chosen to be included in the New Testament and more important why were other left out. The book mentions the fifth gospel but we can only assume that the editors of the New Testament had a larger collection of material.
Read the book with an open mind, question the author's conjectures, and enjoy the ride.
Rating: 
Summary: Poppycock
Review: I read this book with interest some 20 years ago, regarding it as sheer fiction and romance. Apparently some people take this stuff seriously. Maybe it needs a warning from the Surgeon General pasted on the front cover. Get real, folks! We know so very little about the historical Jesus. When some amateurs come along and assert that Jesus emigrated from the Holy Land with wife and kids and went to live in France, you need to ask for some kind of proof. :-) I mean, seriously, ALL of our evidence says Jesus was single and (ahem) died on the cross. His death on the cross is the most important religious fact of the last 20 centuries. And what did Mr. and Mrs. Jesus do in France (actually Roman Gaul)? Take up farming? Learn Latin? Teach Aramaic in the village schools? There is (perhaps) an amusing novel here, but no history.
Rating:
Summary: The One that started it all
Review: Anthony Burgess described this book as a wonderful basis for a novel. He was right, but what sort of novel? It is part mystery, part thriller, part historical, and totally rivetting from page one. This "novel" has the greatest twist of them all. It could al be true. The general "plot" is that a mystery concerning a valuable treasure in the South of France slowly unfolds to reveal an ongoing campaign to get a new, truthful, version of history accepted. A version of history that suggests Jesus did not die on the cross, but survived, married and founded a dynasty that has played a major role in the events of the European stage and beyond. The Holy Grail is said to be this truth that has been kept secret by vested interest groups including the Catholic Church. The story could be true, all speculation engaged in by the authors is grounded in the many facts they produce. The quest for the grail is, however, given a new form by the authors, in that they find their own lives changed by the efforts of the research itself. Many other lives have been changed too. This book has spawned a small industry of books and souvenirs adding to or modifying the basic plot. In the final analysis I would say this book is "the stone at the head of the corner" of the ultimate Post-Modernist novel, a novel with a basic storyline that can be taken up and modified by everyone with a will to try. It is written by many authors from many countries, and may still have many plot twists left. Who knows, read this book and you may be inspired to be the author of the next dramatic sequence.
Rating:
Summary: Well told mystery story - but some facts are lacking.
Review: Originally published as "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" in the UK, it was released as "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" in the United States. Interesting book? Definitely. Factual book? Perhaps not always. This is the book that really started the craze, first into the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery and then into the dynastic bloodline of Jesus, a craze that shows no signs of slowing down. The writing style is very well done, almost conversational so it is very easy to breeze through the book. Henry Lincoln has an excellent writing style and if you have read some of his solo works, you can definitely see his hand here. The danger, however, with this type of book is that many people will not do the necessary research to follow up some of the information that is presented as facts. Having said that, the authors present an excellent bibliography of many sources that they used. This book is worth having just because of the interesting story it weaves. If you are at all interested in the Rennes-le-Chateau story or the possible dynastic bloodline of Jesus, this is a must for your library, if nothing else for the reason that it was really the first book to bring all these topics to worldwide attention. Even though this book is a popularization and meant for a lay-audience, it is, in many ways, geared to researchers. Some of the chapters throw off names, facts, and figures like a historical report and you have to be prepared to wade through some material that may seem tedious or of dubious relevance at the time. Also one has to realize the shift of focus in the book. The first part of the book details the alleged mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau and the findings of a parish priest named Berenger Sauniere in the nineteenth century. A little middle blurb sort of segues into a secret society (that is not really so secret) that made a lot of information on the material in the first part of the book public. The second part then recounts a much vaster tale of conspiracy that, in short order, leaves the original story behind and takes on a life of its own. (This part of the story was taken up by others who expounded on the conspiracy idea, such as in the book "Rex Deus.") Having said that, the whole book rests on the veracity of a group known as the Priory of Sion and the validity of parchments that were alleged to have been found by the priest of Rennes-le-Chateau. Lincoln and crew willfully dismissed some evidence that had come to light before they published and this was mainly the work of Jean-Luc Chaumeil. He demonstrated that, in essence, the Priory of Sion was a hoax. Yes, they did exist as a group but with nothing of the supposed secret origins they claim to have had. Chaumeil also had evidence (presented to Lincoln and crew) that the parchments were really forgeries that were done by a member of the Priory of Sion named Philippe de Cherisey. (Lincoln later admitted this in one his later books.) The authors also almost totally ignore the works of Rene Descadeillas and Jacques Riviere. These authors have written excellent books that provided good evidence that the "mystery" was not quite as mysterious as some would like to believe. This material is mainly in hard to find French books and are not always accessible for the modern reader - who very rarely checks sources anyway. Perhaps that is why Lincoln did not center on these texts too much, figuring that not too many other people would either. There are also details that the authors make seem mysterious and yet really are not. For example, they mention that Sauniere was exonerated by the Vatican and tout this as a mystery. However, what they do not state is that this was simply because the Vatican did not have all the facts at hand. When they did finally get them, Sauniere was indeed ousted from the church. They also fail to look at the very important connection Sauniere had with the Royalists of his day and that gives a very good indication of where his wealth may have come from. Granted, there is still room for mystery in some of the details of the story - but not many. I think some of this might have been why Baigent and Leigh parted ways from Lincoln after the "Messianic Legacy" was published, particularly as Lincoln's ideas went to odder areas such as those detailed in his book "The Holy Place." All in all, however: worth the read. Just be sure to check the facts and do not take everything that is said in the book as always being true. If you are a serious researcher, check into the sources and particuarly look at some of the French works from the "Atelier Empreinte" bookshop, located in Rennes-le-Chateau and orderable on-line.
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