Author(s): Michael Baigent

Religion

A nineteenth-century French priest discovers something in his mountain village at the foot of the Pyrenees, which enables him to amass and spend a fortune of millions of pounds. The tale seems to begin with buried treasure and then turns into an unprecedented historical detective story â a modern Grail quest leading back through cryptically coded parchments, secret societies, the Knights Templar, the Cathar heretics of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and a dynasty of obscure French kings deposed more than 1300 years ago. The authors' conclusions are persuasive; at the core is not material riches but a secret â a secret of explosive and controversial proportions â which radiates out from the little Pyrenees village to encompass the whole of Western civilisation. Its repercussions stretch all the way to contemporary politics and the entire edifice of the Christian faith. It involves nothing less than the Holy Grail.
Is the traditional, accepted view of the life of Christ in some way incompleteI
- Is it possible Christ did not die on the crosss
- Is it possible Jesus was married, a father, and that his bloodline still existss
- Is it possible that parchments found in the South of France a century ago reveal one of the best-kept secrets of Christendoms
- Is it possible that these parchments contain the very heart of the mystery of the Holy Grailc
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 Godse...the plot has all the elements of an international thriller."
-- "Newsweek

"From the Paperback edition.

Publisher Marketing:
SPECIAL ILLUSTRATED EDITION WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW MATERIAL
"One of the more controversial books of the 20th century." -UPI
"Enough to seriously challenge many traditional beliefs, if not alter them." -Los Angeles Book Times Review
Explosive, thought-provoking, fiercely compelling, Holy Blood, Holy Grail breaks bold new ground with its shocking conclusions about the lineage of Christ and the legacy of the Holy Grail. Now this lavishly illustrated
collector's edition features exclusive new material plus dozens of full-color photographs, drawings, symbols, architecture, and artwork, making it a dazzling feast for the eyes as well as the mind. Based on decades
of research, filled with eye-opening new
evidence and stunning scholarship, this authoritative work uncovers an alternate history as shocking as it is believable-as it dares to ask:
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 in Christendom
Is it possible that these parchments contain
the very heart of the mystery of the Holy
Grailc
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, the most faithful Christians will be moved; here is the book that has sparked worldwide controversy, now newly updated and beautifully illustrated for the collector's shelf.
"Like Chariots of the Gods...The plot has all the elements of an international thriller." -Newsweek
"Compelling." -Philadelphia Inquirer
"An astonishing hypothesis."
-Publishers Weekly

Author Bio
Michael Baigent was born in New Zealand in 1948, and obtained a degree in psychology from Canterbury University, Christchurch. Since 1976 he has lived in England. Richard Leigh studied at Tufts University, Boston, the University of Chicago and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Together they have co-authored a number of books including the international bestsellers The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception and Secret Germany.
First published 1982. This edition 2005.