The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code

The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code by Sharan Newman is a good reference to refute the stupidity that is the novel, The DaVinci Code. Newman, who is working on a Phd in Medieval studies, wrote the book in response to friends, acquaintances, and co-workers asking her if this or that in The DaVinci Code was true. What started out as a pamphlet became a full fledged reference. Unlike most books refuting The DaVinci Code,... Read Full Review

Readers of The Da Vinci Code who want more to contemplate will benefit from medieval scholar Sharan Newman's special expertise in The Real History Behind The Da Vinci Code: a guide which asks questions and reveals historical truths behind common myths. From the conspiracy to downplay the human and sexual sides of Jesus to the workings of the Opus Dei Awareness Network, or ODAN, The Real History Behind The Da Vinci Code probes... Read Full Review

Life is unfair. Sharan Newman is a far far better writer than Dan Brown, and is someone who really does her historical homework properly. But who is the international megaseller? Dan Brown.... However, if, like me, you are someone who loves the past, and wants to know what REALLY happened in your fiction, Sharan Newman beats Dan Brown any time. This wonderful book shows why - it reveals the truth behind all the sad a-historical... Read Full Review

I read "The Da Vinci Code" eagerly, just after its release. I was disappointed, however, when the book turned out to be little more than astute repackaging of the intriguing but generally bogus material from "Holy Blood, Holy Grail." My disappointment turned to dismay when I realized how many people--including critics I assume are paid to know better--were accepting Brown's claims to historical accuracy and legitimate research... Read Full Review

"The Real History Behind The Da Vinci Code", by Sharan Newman, New York, Berkley Books, 2005 - ISBN 0-425-20012-4, pbk, 337 pp., authored by a medievalist teacher & novelist who provides an alphabetized commentary upon 70 distinct peoples, places, events, symbolisms and physical things discussed in Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code". Newman strives to separate truths from the fabrications and, if feasible, facts from... Read Full Review