Rating: 
Summary: A little drawn out, but an interesting read
Review: After reading the DaVinci Code, I decided to follow it up with Holy Blood Holy Grail. As conspiracy theories go, this one is a doozy! However, there is enough info in here that will make you start to think...perhaps....SOMETHING is true...If you like the X-files or listening to Coast to Coast on the radio, you will enjoy this book. Read this novel and judge for yourself. Don't let someone who has never read this book tell you what you should think.
Rating: 
Summary: No less likely than, well, the Bible
Review: Though the authors do make many leaps of reason and faith that are often hard to follow, much less take for granted, this book paints a picture that is no less intriguing or believable for it. As has been said by other reviewers, the authors lay out their observations, research and assumptions for the reader to examine and interpret in their own way. Open minds and the ability to think for one's self come in handy when reading this book. Maybe you believe what they posit, maybe you don't, but at least they tell you when they are making reasoned assumptions, or outright guesses, based on the vast quantity of data they cover. The only people who I could even imagine being "offended" by a work such as this are the super-religious, devout Christians of the world. More specifically, Christians who have no open mind when it comes to the possibility of alternate interpretations of Jesus and the gospels. I find this book no less believable than the Bible itself, since most of the fanciful parables in the Bible are, well, wholly unbelievable as pure "fact". It seems to me much more likely that the man called Jesus had a wife (since, as the authors of this book point out, in the time of Christ it was the norm for Jewish men to be married, and it would have warranted a mention in at least one of the gospels had Jesus not been married) and probably children than that he was born of a virgin, turned water to wine and rose from the dead. The Bible provides solice and comfort to many and I can see why this book might make many uncomfortable with its premise, but I think even the most skeptical would at the very least be impressed with the sheer amount of legwork these authors have done to bring this amazing story to their readers. It's the ultimate conspiracy theory... one I happen to believe. Why not. It's as plausible as anything Constantine and the grand editing Council of Nicea included in the book we now call the Holy Bible.
Rating:
Summary: A seminal work
Review:
Holy Blood, Holy Grail is a seminal book that has inspired several others, including the best-selling fictional book by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code, and the non-fiction The Woman With the Alabaster Jar, by Margaret Starbird.
From the back cover: "Is the traditional accepted view of the life of Christ in some way incomlete? "* Is it possible Christ did not die on the cross?
* Is it possible Jesus was married, a father, and that his bloodline still exists?
* Is it possible that parchments found in the South of France a century ago reveal one of the best-kept secrets in Christendom?
* Is it possible that these parchments contain the very heart of the mystery of the Holy Grail? "According to the authors of this extraordinarily provocative, meticulously researched book, not only are these things possible--they are probably true! So revolutionary, so original, so convincing, that the most faithful Christians will be moved; here is the book that has sparked worldwide controversy." Many questions, and few answers. Holy Blood, Holy Grail is the result of over a decade of careful research by its three authors, who came to whatever conclusions they were able to make only after sifting through thousands of documents, seeking answers; answers which were often illusive. But they found much circumstantial evidence which led them to educated conjecture, often speculative, but nevertheless enough to satisfy any reasonable, open-minded jury. I heard about this book through reading others which dealt with the same general subject matter. It did not disappoint, but the reader should be forewarned: it is not light reading. Be prepared to read while comparing passages to other material, especially the Bible, taking notes, keeping track of names of people and places and dates, and generally staying alert. For me, it was most persuasive. For others, perhaps less so. It would be well if the reader has some knowledge already of church history, has read some of the Gnostic gospels and is familiar with the currently orthodox Bible--either Catholic or protestant. Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of The Road to Damascus: Our Journey Through Eternity
and other books
Rating: 
Summary: deep and interesting
Review: I have got to readd this book again. There is so much to absorb, the levels of detail require more thought than you can spare on one read.
The endless historial trivia, however, sends my eyes to crossing but as a volume for research, it's unparalleled.
Rating:
Summary: Facts don't need sources...
Review: At least this is the idea one gets when reading this book. The authors did seem to do much research on a broad range of topics, often sputtering off on tangents with gobs of details that truly pave the reader for the journey that the authors ensued, rather than adding much structure or facts to their theory. In all honesty to get to their theory as a whole you need to consume up to 12 chapters. And to be honest, considering the tone and pace the authors lead the reader on during the whole book, they make a quick hypothesis that is readily able and willing to fit in the lines of the Passover Plot, and then add details about some of Jesus' family. While going through much detailed history that surrounds , The Holy Grail romances, Prieure de Sion, Rennes-le-chateau, The Cathars, The Knights Templar, even the political drama that was the atmosphere for hundreds of years in Rome, the authors state views and theories of history as straight up facts, providing very few of their own in order to support what they state and guide the reader along with. For anyone whom has done a simple study on any major topic of history, especially one that is bathed in controversy, such is the tale of Jesus and the early Christians as a whole, you will know that there many different views of history. Simply this is because of the different detailed information that rests in front of the researcher and the looking glass they choose to view the information with. The authors, while keeping integrity by continually stating their caution as to the newly found 'facts' are quick to cherry pick a view of history that is slated to best suit their hypothesis, and again presenting such views as literal facts and showing much of nothing in their references. Also, very admittedly by the authors, they do not use the most typical or structured approach to reach their views. They do make a valid argument by posing the truth that Schliemann was able to discover the site of Troy by carefully reading Homer and in turn themselves gambling that by using the same approach on the grail romances, they might bring forth some historical facts overlooked by the myths the tales evolved into. But again they neglect to even so much as reflect the other side of the coin on this approach, in turn if they could show their ideas to be more accurate, it would only build more character to their thesis. The reason I give the book three stars is because for all the detailed and scholarly amounts of history that this book is made up of, the authors do a good job of formulating it in everyday language, as not to exclude the general reader. And I do think that at the end of the book, it does a wonderful job of collimating many of the theories a buzz about Jesus and His time, and to the ill knowledged reader offering a sample of some of the shrouded facts, blanketed and polished by the winners of history (i.e. the Church and biased historians). More or less attempting to expose, very subtly perhaps, the conservative views and takes on that period of history, yet not willing to put forth the same effort for the liberal ones, because such a thing would kill their ability to sell their hypothesis. Overall a decent, sometimes dry read, but laced with underlining bias ( as if much isn't).
Rating:
Summary: A Long Time To Keep A Secret
Review: THE DA VINCI CODE is a good story and HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL complements it very well. If you plan to read the former I suggest you also look at the latter. Both books propose a theory which is quite complicated and based on much speculation. The theory is very interesting partly because it cuts a wide swath through many centuries of history and touches such diverse topics as the Prieure de Sion, Knights Templar, Louis XIV, House of Stuart, Rosslyn Chapel, Merovingians and Zealots. HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL is written in the style of a conspiracy theory book and it is loaded with facts too numerous to check. It also makes numerous dubious assumptions. One is that Jesus Christ was highly literate and a member of the aristocracy. Another is that Jesus was married and a parent. Unfortunately there is no indisputable evidence to either support or disprove these suppositions. In spite of the book's faults, I enjoyed reading it - even though 2000 years seems to be a long time to keep a secret.
Rating:
Summary: research the research
Review: The authors have done extensive research into the esoterica of Biblical history; however, the book is a good 20 years old and some of it has been proven to be questionable. An internet search (not available at the time of the book's writing) can show that there is a lot more to the stories that are presented. Not to say that the authors are wrong, lying, or misleading - even they, in recent years, have said that readers should only take what can be proven as fact. And they don't present the book as a work of fact, but as a work of research that may or may not prove a theory about history. All that said, HBHG is well put together. It follows the history of certain parts of the Bible and how we came to know them, and also presents evidence that we might not have been taught the full story in Sunday School. What, or who, is the Holy Grail? Why are there so many Mary's in the Bible? And what does it all have to do with life today? This is the background of Da Vinci Code - the real meat and potatoes behind the theories put forth there. But one should take this evidence and theories and check into them as well, since a lot has been archived on the internet in recent years regarding the same things, and will open your eyes even further to what is real and what is hoax.
Rating:
Summary: A hard read...
Review: ...but worth it. The authors make several claims that require the reader to be willing to say "I believe" in order to agree with the points they make. However, if the reader is willing to take theory and let it be elevated to the level of possible truth, this is a good book. The points made, while they fit together well, still leave a lot of doubt. (Yes, they could be true, or it could be several people reading a lot into nothing.) A working knowledge of early European history is a bonus while reading this book. (I don't have one and had to do a lot of side reasearch to figure out who and what the authors are talking about.) Read this book, but remember it is only a theory. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: How Tragic...
Review: How tragic that this book can pass for "historical research". Let me just point you to a clearly unbiased source - The University of California at Berkeley - where this book (along with "Chariots of the Gods") is the focus of a course called Rhetoric 24, Bad Books and How to Spot Them (LG) taught by Professor Daniel F. Melia. If you like fantasy then have at this book but if you think it is remotely grounded in reality you are, I am afraid, simply foolish.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: Some people may say this is just a blind conspiracy theory and perhaps even be offended by it. The authors even admit where they are speculating and call it their hypothesis. Unlike the normal Christian histories imposed upon us as absolute truth, these authors open the door for our thoughts and interpretations. As for the medieval historian, I wish that person would have at least told us a bit about "what a Merovingian is". The historian gives us nothing of what the correct version might be anymore than why the book is wrong. I absolutely love history and if these authors are wrong, I would love at least a new direction to get facts that are perhaps more accurate. I did look up other alternative sources on the Merovingians and find nothing to prove or disprove what the book says. I am not sure if I believe this book total truth or not, but the Vatican itself has distorted and or denied access to information as well as the Holy Bible itself has never proved or disproved either, yet these versions are widely believed with so little evidence. This book is an awsome alternative to the mainstream history usually given. It requires an open mind and perhaps a bit of research by yourself. Think for yourselves and enjoy the book!
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