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    Holy Blood, Holy Grail
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    Holy Blood, Holy Grail
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    Holy Blood, Holy Grail
    Audiobook (abridged)9 hours

    Holy Blood, Holy Grail

    Written by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln

    Narrated by Simon Prebble

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Is the traditional, accepted view of the life of Christ in some way incomplete?

    • 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 of 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 controversey.

    "Enough to seriously challenge many traditional Christian beliefs, if not alter them."
    - Los Angeles Times Book Review

    "Like Chariots of the Gods?...the plot has all the elements of an international thriller."
    - Newsweek


    From the Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 21, 2006
    ISBN9780739339886
    Unavailable
    Holy Blood, Holy Grail
    Author

    Michael Baigent

    Michael Baigent was born in New Zealand in 1948. Since 1976 he has lived in England with his wife and children. He is the co-author of the international bestsellers Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Messianic Legacy (with Henry Lincoln and Richard Leigh), as well as numerous other books. As a religious historian and leading expert in the field of arcane knowledge he has undertaken a two-decade long quest for the truth about Jesus that has culminated in the publication of The Jesus Papers.

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    Reviews for Holy Blood, Holy Grail

    3.5/5

    759 ratings41 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A good start on understanding the KNights Templar, and where Dan Jones got most of his material for the Davinci Code
    • 4/5
      This is a good book overall, and seems to be very well researched. What I like is the rather dry manner in which the authors have written the book. Anyone expecting shocking revelations at the turn of every page will be disappointed. While the dry style is good, it also means that there are times when your attention wavers, and can make grasping the complex links a bit challenging. The main conclusion is, however, tenuous in my opinion. Establishing a bloodline with genetic data is difficult enough, and to establish a 2,000 year old bloodline on the basis of documents even more so. I would think that there is some speculation here. That Jesus Christ was a mortal man, married, and was deified later is entirely possible. I have my own country, and the myths of Rama and Krishna to attest to this possibility.
    • 5/5
      Intriguing and enlightening. Brilliantly written. Loved it.
    • 4/5
      While you may dispute the facts and findings of the authors The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail makes for an interesting look at an alternate view of the historical facts behind some of Christianity's facts.
    • 3/5
      Interesting. Slog in places. Preposterous conclusions.
    • 4/5
      Way back when I was much more ignorant of the world around me, I went looking for a book about the history of the Knights Templar, found "Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" and got far more than what I expected.For instead of a history of the Knights Templar, "Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" uncovered the greatest conspiracy of all time. That the direct descendants of Jesus and a group of high profile supporters throughout history have secretly controlled the world throughout the millennia, and will reveal themselves at a crucial moment in history (suggested to be the year 2000). Some of you may have noticed that the year 2000 has come and gone without such a reveal but in those balmy days of the last millennium when I read this, it all seemed amazingly possible. Of course, examining the claims in the cold light of day shows that the Priory of Sion (the shadowy organisation at the centre of the claims) and related claims were all, to use scientific jargon, hooey.Still, if you put all the hooeyness aside, it's an entertaining read.
    • 4/5
      Interesting and extremely thought-provoking theory. Major weak point is that the authors will make certain assumptions (admitting that there's no concrete evidence to support them), then use them as though they were rock-solid facts.
    • 2/5
      A lot of speculation and leaps in logic.
    • 5/5
      I am enthralled by this kind of non-fiction! What a fascinating theory!
    • 1/5
      Didn't finish this book. I got as far as page 107. The book is nothing but conjecture, maybes and mostly misinformation. I was bored from the start but tried to see if it would get interesting which it didn't. If there was a rating for minus stars, I would have given it a -3.
    • 2/5
      I originally approached the book with the idea that even if the "history" was wonky, it will be entertaining to read. I was sorely disappointed. It was uphill all the way, especially in the middle, when you get bogged down in all those dynasties.

      However, I'm giving it two stars for the chapters towards the end. The speculations in there have given the myth-lover in me have one more go at the Bible, and the enigmatic figure of the Christ.

      Overall opinion? A boring book with some entertaining speculations.
    • 4/5
       I read this after I had read 'The Davinci Code' interested in the true story behind it. What I came out with was much more than I had expected. The idea that Christ fathered a child (to me) is not unheard of. Controversial yes, but not unbelievable. In my opinion it makes perfect sence.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Yes, yes -- I know it's not true. It's still one of the most delicious hoaxes in literary history.
    • 2/5
      Entertaining although patent nonsense. Much better than the dreadful da Vinci code
    • 5/5
      If you are deeply religious DO NOT read this book. It WILL offend you to your very soul.For the rest of you - you just might find yourself thinking and analyzing what you thought you knew about your parent's religion
    • 5/5
      The book is quite detailed in trying to prove its theory and does so very well as far as I am concerned. It took me a while to read through and absorb. I learned many things, a few I never thought to ask, in reference to religion in general and Christianity specifically.
    • 3/5
      I read this book before the Da Vinci Code came out andwondered why everyone thought those ideas were new. These guys researched it first!
    • 4/5
      Holy Blood, Holy Grail is an exciting and interesting look at Christianity and several, now infamous, secret societies. The authors begin their story with a French priest who became suddenly wealthy, and this quickly leads them to information about the Knights Templar, the myth of the Holy Grail, the life of Jesus, and the Priory of Scion. Each discovery yields more questions as the researchers attempt to find how all of these disparate threads weave together.Most readers will be familiar with the ideas in the Holy Blood, Holy Grail, thanks to the Da Vinci Code. Its pretty obvious that Dan Brown based his novel on the research in this book. The authors do an excellent job of presenting their findings and are very open about what they can support with documentation and what they are making educated guesses about. Even the guess are plausible and it all presents a very interesting picture. Readers interested in history, religion or a good detective novel will enjoy this book.
    • 4/5
      A great book filled with interesting ideas, facts and information.
    • 3/5
      I found this book (and the sequel) while browsing at Powell's City of Books. Pinned under a shelf full of Dan Brown books was a card saying that if I liked his books, I should check out Holy Blood, Holy Grail in the non-fiction religion section, so I bit and picked up this, the sequel (The Messianic Legacy) and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln start off with the discovery of French documents that purport to outline a secret history of Jesus after the resurrection wherein he and Mary Magdalene fled to France and settled down, had kids, and fathered a line of French kings that exists to the present day.Each chapter follows a general pattern: take a document or set of documents, engage in wild speculation about how, with the right set of eyes, you can see how it fits into the grand scheme of things, and admit that it is speculation but that it could be true. Then, begin the next chapter with some variation of, "now that we concretely established X from the previous chapter as true, we will now examine the next bit of evidence". Rinse, repeat.Although it's all pretty silly, and it was later revealed that the documents they rested their theories on were forgeries, they are far more imaginative than Dan Brown could ever hope to be, so if you're into that kind of conspiracy theory fiction, read the original rather than subjecting yourself to The da Vinci Code, as it is pretty much a fictionalization of Holy Blood Holy Grail.
    • 3/5
      The main thesis seems to be bogus but some of the background is worth following up. Overall, fun reading.
    • 4/5
      I read this years ago and was fascinated. I was lucky enough to live in the south of France for a few months and visited the tiny village where this all started. There are only a couple of houses and a church. The Da Vinci code is more readable but this will hook you in to the mystery and contains more information.
    • 3/5
      An interesting insight into the mystery of the holy grail. Remarkable ideas, which have been featured in other works including The Da Vinci Code, with facts to back them up. A very interesting and thought-provoking book.
    • 3/5
      a really interesting read, slow going and in some parts a little far fetched but overall i enjoyed this.
    • 5/5
      Fascinating read that proves how history and true stories can amaze more than fiction. More gratifying than Dan Brown's fictional conclusions based on it.The theorising about the relevance of the Merovingian dynasty is interesting, but the threads become very thin and left me with extreme difficulties in trying to believe it. Nevertheless, those threads do point to existent secret societies who pursue their own long-term agendas.
    • 4/5
      If you are truly interested in the questions raised in "The DaVinci Code," it is well worth your time. There is a lot of history, speculation, and half-truths in the book. You have to evaluate it for yourself.
    • 4/5
      This was a great book. It was where Dan Brown got his idea for the Da Vici Code. If you love conspiracies this is a book for you.
    • 3/5
      I purchased and read this book before The DaVinci Code erupted into the popular culture. I stumbled on to it quite by accident. This book helped to fuel my interest in Christian Mythology. The whole premise of this myth has been debunked by numerous scientists, historians, and theologians. But isn't that exactly what makes a good conspiracy even more intriguing? There are few proposed conspiracies that can abduct the good reason of people like this particular Holy Grail myth. Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln weave a dense tapestry of intrigue as they follow this presumably valid conspiracy of the bloodline of Jesus. Their search begins with insignificant people from virtually unknown locales and gradually discover the involvement of some of the most famous names in history. This has been uncovered as an elaborate hoax perpetrated by an eccentric gentleman in France. Still, there is much there to make one wonder if there isn't just a bit of truth to the myth. If you are a fan of mythology or conspiracy, check this out. It's not a short read and is dense with dates, places, and names but that is what makes it one of the greatest mythologies in history.
    • 1/5
      A relative sent me a copy of the book several years ago (before The Da Vinci Code, which plays off this book's claims). It's utterly ludicrous, but a textbook example of how to play a con game with the public using little-known or half-remembered episodes and characters from ancient and medieval history. The trick is to come up with a fictional past that people will want to believe in (in this case: Jesus married Mary Magdalene, and just as you always suspected, the whole church establishment is a fraud). Then write a tedious narrative full of mystifying language about how we, the authors, were inexorably drawn to believe this theory in despite of all our dry-as-dust scholarly colleagues with their timorous reliance on careful sourcing. All this padding is essential; it adds heft to your book, which increases its air of authority. But be sure to spice it up here and there with quick-moving passages that assert really wild and sexy claims (like, a lineal descendant of Jesus will someday assert a claim to rule all of Europe). These will be the only parts most readers will absorb, so give them arresting subheadings. Readers will underline these passages and email their friends, then ask their ministers about them. Soon one or two scandalized churchmen can be counted on to rail against your book on TV. You'll be invited to appear as well, for the sake of balance, and all you have to do is act the role of a maverick but dedicated scholar. Then the paperback comes out, graced with a lengthy introduction in which you express, with cherubic innocence, your shock at all the uproar about your humble and sincere efforts to uncover the truth. History Channel, here we come.
    • 3/5
      Interesting, if not all that convincing. Those who were recommended this book because of The Da Vinci Code should beware. This is not a novel. It is a hypothesis layed out with a lot of facts and conjecture. A fairly dry read that builds from one assumption to the next with some odd logical leaps.