The Sion Revelation: The Truth about the Guardians of Christ's Sacred Bloodline

There is history and there is history. There is the recording of history by the conquerors and spoilers and by the manipulators and coveruppers. And then there is real history, the history that is bypassed, ignored, not mentioned, swept under the rug. This book talks about a part of history that is speculative but seems to be more related to real history and that is what makes it interesting. Following the widespread interest of Dan Brown's novels, this book provides an interesting excursion into the possibility that some of things in his novels in fact had a basis in fact - perhaps even more so than the most conservative scholars are wont to acknowledge. Will we ever know with certainty? Perhaps not, but with interesting books such as this one, we will at least have some guidance, some view of the hidden landscape and some details of the facts which the historians seem to so frequently ignore or forget!

Anyone who is interested in learning about the Priory of Sion and also about the Merovingian myth, will enjoy this easy to read book. It is well researched and based upon my own research, I agree with the conclusions presented in this well written book. Picknett and Prince present information that poses questions about age-old theories. The surprise ending is well worth the read and the bibliography and references are extensive. Bettye Johnson, author, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.

Kudos to the authors (and shame on those who are addicted to denial and zero-think debunking). The type of intelligence operation documented in the book was common in the Cold War, and no one would blink an eye if they were told the KGB or CIA had initiated such an operation. Considering the intelligence and special operations backgrounds of some of the Priory characters, their use of such techniques is practically predictable. But it took Picknett and Prince to recognize the pattern. There are still odd aspects to the interweaved threads of the Priory, the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery, and the Merovingian Legends (such as the book by Jules Vernes), and plenty to speculate about. But as far as what the Priory really is ... the book is well worth the read to answer that question. And yes, it is not a simple answer. But then, reality is often far more complex than we give it credit for.

The author speakes to the reader. It is well researched and although a controversial subject for many Christians, it is a breath of fresh air. It is about time we took a good look at history and religion. Picknett is not afraid to delve into the dark and very often violent history of the Christian church and come up with a truth that, eventually, even the fundamentalists are going to be forced to look at.

Here is yet another entry into the always fascinating but perplexing genre of "The Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau and The Priory of Sion", which first leaped onto an unsuspecting world nearly twenty five years ago and has recently gained new life with Dan Brown's ubiquitous thriller "The Da Vinci Code." The basic story, conveniently summarized by Picknett and Prince, concerns the activities of a poor parish priest in the 1890s who somehow got his hands on a great deal of money and came into contact with a large number of unusual people: royals, occultists, opera singers, and sundry other types. Tracing this priest's career led to the unveiling of a super secret society, the Priory of Sion, and its supposedly explosive secret: the survival of descendants of Jesus Christ and their claim to be the rightful rulers of France. (There's way more to the story than that, but that's the gist of it.) Picknett and Prince try to sum up the evidence and tie up the loose ends, and they do a pretty good job of it, so far as is possible when dealing with a story that keeps on unfolding and always comes up with strange new twists. They debunk some of the more bizarre aspects, such as the Merovingian Dynasty's "right" to rule France and all of Europe, and prove(so far as anything in this story can be proven) that some of the chief protagonists, like Pierre Plantard, were habitual exagerrators if not downright liars. However, the most interesting parts of this book deal with the odd coincidences and strange interconnections so many of the events and characters boast. Reading these sections, I was reminded of the game "Six Degrees from Kevin Bacon," because it turns out that nearly everyone in modern French and European politics has ties to people who supposedly have ties to the Priory of Sion. Furthermore, it appears that the Priory, whether or not it really exists, has an interest in European unification which it shares with some less than savory groups, both past and present. Reading this book will clear up some questions about the whole Priory mystery, but it will leave you with dozens more to ponder.