Rating: 
Summary: A parody of historical research
Review: As a student of history, I found myself cursing at this book. More often than not, the "facts" it cites are entirely bogus. I have no problem with a non-celibate Jesus. In fact, I do believe he may well have had children with Mary Magdalene. What irritates me is such baloney passing as history--and outselling _good_ history, at that! Take the Cathars, for instance. One of my favorites. Here was a group with profound ideas about the duality of the universe. They believed that the physical world was evil, and therefore, Jesus--as God--would never sully his holiness with a physical body. Sex was seen as a cardinal sin, because it shackled more souls to this fleshy prison. So, to a Cathar, the only thing worse than claiming Jesus was physical (like the Catholics did), would be to claim he sired children. To the Cathars, this "bloodline" would be even more evil than Rome! Yet, we're to believe they were in on this overarching conspiracy? But then again, according to _Holy Blood,_ who _wasn't_ in on it? They make too much, I think, of Phillip's trumped up charges against the Knights Templar who--our every sound historical source assures us--were good Catholics. It's a nice story (though the computer game, Gabriel Knight III, tells it better), but if you're looking for something that's actually real, you'll get more from Geoffrey of Monmouth talking about King Arthur.
Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't put it down
Review: This is a real interesting book. It obviously is not completely factual and the authors do a good job of letting everyone know this. It is a hypothesis. When you look at the evidence these guys have gathered you end up telling yourself "something is definately up". But you don't know exactly what is up. When I finished it I was convinced that there was some kind of conspiracy going on. But you can't make any definate conclusions as to what the conspiracy exactly deals with.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Fiction
Review: HBHG is an entertaining conspiracy-mystery story. Moves quickly, doesn't get bogged down with facts. But I'm amazed that some people actually seem to be treating it as if it were based on solid research, given the almost total lack of documentation the authors offer for their conclusions.According to the authors themselves, their whole premise is based on some "dossiers secrets" they found in the French Bibliothèque Nationale. During the whole time they were researching the book, they kept going back to that file, and finding new additions to it -- added secretly and anonymously! All the contents of the file were written anonymously or with pseudonyms. They reproduce one item in the notes (in French, so I won't quote from it) -- it reads like a cartoon witch's curse, and it's got little occultist drawings in it, skulls and flames and stars of David etc. They don't seem to have made the slightest effort to find out WHO was planting the files and leading them around by the nose. Either that or there weren't even any dossiers secrets. They might well have made the whole thing up. Typical endnote (no.29, chapter 8) says that they "tried to check on" an author. "He was said to have gone to Israel and worked for Israeli television at Tel Aviv. The trail unfortunately ended here." Um, sorry, but that doesn't sound like a dead-end to me. It sounds like they didn't bother following up with a phone call or two to Tel Aviv.... They also take death-defying leaps of logic. For instance, from the perfectly plausible claim (based on evidence other than the dossiers secrets) that the Merovingian royal family had some Jewish blood mixed in, they follow with the claim (based only on the dossiers secrets) that they were of the tribe of Benjamin (as was David, and through him Jesus), and end up with the conclusion that THEREFORE, the Merovingians MUST have been the descendants of Jesus! On this point they seem to have out-stretched even the dossiers secrets. There's more! The Knights Templar, the Crusades, the Cathars, Lohengrin, Perceval and the Holy Grail, Joan of Arc, hidden treasures, the Merovingian kings (who died out in the 7th century.... or did they?). Plus Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, Claude Debussy AND Charles de Lorraine, brother-in-law to the Austrian empress, as Grand Masters of the ultra-secret society charged with protecting the holy lineage! All in all, I have to agree with Susan Haskins, who in _Mary Magdalene: Myth and Metaphor_ refers to this work as "one of the more bizarre manifestations of the late 20th-century popular interest both in the story of Christ and in conspiracy theory." And "the authors breathlessly bend to their purpose whatever information comes their way." Just look at the blurbs on the book jacket, i.e. "A bizarre theory" --Houston Chronicle. Wild.
Rating:
Summary: Silly.
Review: Should have been named "The Three Stooges in Quest of the Holy Grail".
Rating:
Summary: Well documented book for a extreme subject...
Review: If anyone wanted to know about the holy grail, the Knights of the Templar and their myth, and overall a historical outlook of the New Testament, then this is the book. No holds barred as the authors barrel full force into topics years ago would of had them persecuted. Now, truth can be made from all the cluttering disinformation about the past and present of western world theology. Although nothing in this book states anything groundbreaking or faith shattering for some people, the basic fact that things DID happen and all is not what you have grown and been taught to think. The most important aspect of this book with exception to the subject matter within would be how easily it reads. A thick volume of vast information, the authors did an exceptional job of keeping the information coherent and also seperating the fact from speculation. If any more evidence was needed, the authors never hesitate to represent thier source and even speculate possibilities not yet proven. Astonishing work. An ideal book for those who wish to ponder the truth. Most importantly, this book doesn't tell you your wrong, it just makes you think for yourself. From that point, a better understanding and faith in your questions can arise and you can look into these issues of the past on your own.
Rating:
Summary: HOKUM HOKUM HOKUM
Review: IF YOU BELIEVE WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK THEN YOU ARE VERY STUPID AS JESUS DIED AND IS RISEN AND LIVES IN ALL OF US .THE STONECUTTERS ARE THE ONES WHO WOULD INVENT A STORY LIKE THIS TO TRY AND CONFUSE PEOPLE YEKNOW WHO THEIR EMPLOYER IS DONT YOU THE MAN DOWNSTAIRSIN HELL ,THIS IS WHO CONFUSES PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD AMEN
Rating:
Summary: Start of a Good Thing
Review: I actually read this book several years ago, and still hold it in high regard as an historical study. Its substantial value to all of us, though,is that it was the progenitor of a flood of works by many other authors who, emboldened by this daring,controversial book, stormed the traditional halls of history with fresh insights and vigorous research, opening up fascinating new vistas into our ancient past. Gardner, Hancock, Thiering, Bauval, Knight, Lomas, Lockhart, Sinclair, Picknett, Prince, and others all owe a debt of gratitude to the courage of Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln for being the first to show the world that the "history" which we all learned in school and in church has serious flaws, many of which are related to sensitive, fundamental religious belief and doctrine. If you haven't read the book yet, get the paperback edition, which has in its introduction a section that summarizes all the backlash the authors endured in the years between the publication of the hardcover edition and the paperback edition. As far as the book itself goes, it is a fun read; almost like a mystery novel, except that it is non-fiction with real historical figures and events. The sequel, The Messianic Legacy, picks up where the first book ends, and carries its theme right up to the present day. Do yourself a favor, and read these two works. They are rewarding in their own right, and lay the groundwork for many related and significant works to follow.
Rating: 
Summary: A Laymans view
Review: I have read 3 books written by the authors Baigent,Leigh and Lincoln.The first of which being the Holy Blood & Holy Grail.Whilst reading the book I was mindful that one must have an open mind as some of the material was contrary to what I had been brought up to believe.From the opening chapter I found the book intriguing entertaining and informative.I found the book moved along at a fast pace and at other times it would get caught up in possibly too much detail and would roll off into another direction before coming back into the main thrust of the original story or is that history ?.I found that when I tried to reference other sources to find information for instance the dictionary ( Australian English Dictionary ) didn't have any reference to the Essenes or the Kinghts Templars.I drive a taxi in Brisbane Australia and I would read the book between jobs.I found a lot of resistence to the book by people of all walks of life and religions.These people would say they dont believe a word thats written in the book yet when I say which part in particular 10 out of 10 people would say they've never read it but they have heard about it.Incidentally I only heard about the book when I picked up an Enlish gentleman himself an author of some note. He wrote among other things books that became a TV series called "The Man From Uncle" in the 1960's.I asked about a cross he was wearing he said it was a cross of the Knights Templar.I was unaware of who they were and he reccomended the book Holy Blood & Holy Grail to me.I found that from start to finish the content was extremely interesting,thought provoking and I found myself wanting to know more about the templars and the Merovingians etc. I found the historical association of very public figures down through the middle ages and to recent history very interesting and what influence they and their predecessors have played to this point.The United States of Europe has become a reality when 14 years ago when I first read the book it seemed an absurd proposition.We now have to see how far the powers in Europe travel to have the Merovingian line planted in the seat of power if indeed it hasn't already happened.I wait with interest.
Rating:
Summary: Question whatever you can.
Review: I'm presently reading the book and I had to jump from approx. page 120, plus or minus a couple of pages, as the reading really gets heavy and there are so many individuals' names and place names that your brain gets bogged down. So I cut to the chase and jumped to approx. page 300, reading a few pages before that. As much as I admire such in-depth research, I wonder why the authors make simple mistakes. The first one I could verify is the claim that Lazarus is not mentioned anywhere in the four gospels except at John. Yet, a simple look in the bible finds Lazarus mentioned in Luke 16:20. The authors use the wedding at Cana to imply that the brideroom is Jesus, yet the bible says that he was INVITED to the wedding. After the wedding when Jesus left (John 2:12) with his mother and brothers and his disciples the new bride is not mentioned. The authors imply that Lazarus is not treated or mentioned as a disciple yet the authors use the last suppler where it is stated that "Lazarus" is a disciple! Of course, there are a lot of mysteries for which an explanation may never be found, but stating one thing while showing another and making simple mistakes can cause one to wonder how much of the research uncovered is true and how much is a stretch, for the authors to "prove" a point. I don't know what else I'm going to find erroneous in the rest of the book, and I could point out other "errors" due to the particular bible used. It's interesting reading but one has to keep in mind that the authors present theories to which they try to assign fact. I use the Jehovah's Witnesses' bible 'cause it's supposed to be translated from the original Greek and Aramaic languages and, usually, seems to be the correct translation when others quote other bible versions that show blatant errors in translation. One example is that Jesus was NOT crucified as crosses were not used (with a crossbar for the arms) but a stake to which both arms were nailed or tied above the victims' heads. If this is true then anything that has to do with a cross has to be ignored, including "THE SPEAR OF DESTINY", etc. Can you shed light on this cross thing?
Rating:
Summary: Be Careful of "Official Histories"
Review: Baigent, Leigh and Licoln have excelled themselves in the writing of this book. It's contents are extensive, very absorbing and very controversial to say the least. It saddens me to see people who have reviewed this book find that they cannot suspend their indoctrination by the prevailing "world views" of history, to consider that the authors may just be right in their assertions. Remember, "history" is written by those who ultimately have the upper hand i.e. it's subjective to the extreme, and biased accordingly. To find out what really happpened, given the evidence available, you would have to dig very deeply to get past prevailing dogma and ideology of the time. All history is questionable...even that promulgated by "acceptable" authorities. I found "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail", very thought provoking, entertaining and very well researched. Given the prevailing current of historical thought amongst academia and historians, you would think that a book like this would never get off the press. Even more so with the Catholic Church. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone wishing to look at an alternative to the established thought of our day...always keep an open mind. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.
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