Illustrated Bloodline of the Holy Grail

Excellent

Laurence Gardner has written an interesting theory about the lineage of Jesus that is detailed in this book. It is well worth the read if you have an open mind and read it with a grain of salt rather than regarding or disregarding it as gospel truth or bunk. As with all books, there are elements of truth and untruth. It is in the process of discernment that we seek to unravel and separate fact from fiction. This book requires the reader to think for oneself and not form a final judgement.What I really liked about, "BLOODLINE OF THE HOLY GRAIL" was the beautiful illustrations. These illustrations by themselves make the book worth buying. I also enjoyed the graphs of several royal lines- which I do not accept as completely true. Some of the lineages are most definitely accurate, while others are speculative at best and a bit far fetched. Remember to keep an open mind as you read.What I had some trouble accepting was the claim that Jesus married Mary Magdeline and fathered children through which the "Stewarts" and other royalty came from. I also had problems with the theory that Joseph of Arimathea was in actuality, James the Just, brother of Jesus. But, these theories should not be entirely disregarded. There may be more truth here than fiction.The last point I would like to mention is that Gardner claims that Jesus was never really crucified and went on to live out his life elsewhere while another person was crucified in his place. This I cannot accept! There is nothing to support this claim and no concrete proof. All in all I enjoyed the reading because of the interesting context- but there is too much contraversy and some might even claim blasphemy. Read with caution!!

Very worthwhile and well documented.

Just when you thought you had read everything on the mystery of Rennes le Chateau, and were comfortable in your belief that all that was left to know was safely digested, along comes Mr Gardner with a book that widens the horizons still further.It is so densely packed with information, the appendices alone are worth the cover price, that you feel you will never properly understand it all, but the narrative drive is compelling enough to make you want to try.It is a must for all who follow the "Bloodline" mystery, but will be confusing to those who have not already read the Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln books.Whether you believe the story told or not, you will have no choice but to admit, it is a wonderful story

I found this book to be a fascinating read, especially if one keeps an open mind and is not influenced by man made theology and dogma and such archaic thinking that hints of blasphemy as put forth by several earlier reviewers. In my view, what the author proposes is very plausable, especially when one thinks of the co-mingling of state and church that occured during the Council of Nicea in the 300 A.D. period. There are also other writings that reference Jesus being buried in India some years later than that of the crucifixion. The lines of thought referenced by the author (A Church of Love and A Church of Reason) are still with us today in that we have those that see the importance of Jesus for his teachings rather than as a diety. I had read Margaret Starbird's "Woman With The Alabaster Jar" earlier which also speaks to similar themes. Agan, a fascinating and enjoyable read provided you have a mind open to all possiblities, and keep your mind free of judgements made on the basis of man-made dogma, learned beliefs, and fear.

This 2001 hard cover book has several variations, in paperback and in a version that isn't illustrated. They all have basically the same text. Gardner is an excellent writer and seems to be a good historian of English genealogy. Unfortunately he isn't much of a biblical historian, and almost everything he uses in this book is based on the theories of Barbara Theiring, whose own work, while creative and interesting, has very little foundation. Combine these faults with Gardner's reluctance to document many of his assertions, and you almost have a novel, rather than an historical work.Which isn't to say that everything in this book is without foundation. In fact, Gardner often gets it right and his theories are interesting and certainly possible. The problem is that most people won't be able to distinguish what is and what isn't factual, and what is clearly so far out of the box that one wonders what possess Gardner to write what he does. For example...- Gardner translates tekton as "a Master of the Craft (p. 27)." He is the only person to come up with such a translation. Others have used "builder" "laborer" "woodworker" and even "general contractor", but Gardner stands alone in his linking of the word with Templar symbolism.- Gardner claims that the origins of the word Nazarene come from the words Nazie ha Brit which he says "a designation of the Essene community at Qumran the Dead Sea (p. 27)." Well, Qumran isn't at the Dead Sea and it is still questionable whether or not the Essenes were at Qumran. In any event, most scholars believe that Nazarene comes from the base root which is to separate, meaning that the Nazarenes were a group that separated itself from the mainstream.- Gardner has his own timeline for the family of Jesus, with no apparent rationale. He tells us plainly that "Six years later his brother James was born" and "in 23 CE Joseph the father...died... (p. 32)," yet there is no rationale nor evidence for these dates. Which isn't to say that it's not possible. But Gardner merely asserts these dates with no documentation.- Gardner says that "only as the wife of Jesus and a priestess in her own right could Mary have anointed both is head and his feet with the sacred ointment (p. 49)." First, there was nothing sacred about the ointment. It was expensive, but not sacred. Second, it didn't take a priestess to anoint someone.The illustrations in this book are beautiful, although they often don't apply to the text that accompanies them. Elsewhere (e.g., The Magdalene Legacy) Gardner has discussed the illustrations at length, but in this book they are merely there to fill space, which they do nicely.This is a good book for people who like conspiracies and for people who believe in the Grail legends and the linking of Jesus/Mary with the Templars/Freemasons. People looking for a traditional biblical history text should probably look elsewhere.

This book is well written and beautifully illustrated. The trouble starts with the list of false titles that the author assigns to himself and the forward by the fake prince. The author often resorts to fantasy and outright lies to 'prove' his point, often misquoting the Bible itself. There is no effort to present actual evidence to support the claims that are made. This work is full of conspiracy theories that are hard to swallow, at best.

Excellent in the extreme

Book arrived very quickly. Perfect condition. Great and informative read.