Customer Reviews

Merlin and the Discovery of Avalon in the New World

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I picked this up as a follow-on from the author's previous works involving Arthur in British myth and his identity as a real historical figure. As thought-provoking as these ideas were, I was initially very sceptical as to the possibility of a similarly convincing identification of Merlin. Happily my first thoughts proved unfounded. Despite reading more like a Dan Brown novel than an academic discourse, the threads of a variety of sources are skilfully blended together to form a coherent argument as to Merlin's historical identity. The picture of a Britain descending into a post-Roman, invasion-plagued land, held briefly in check by the two figures that have become known as Arthur and Merlin, is both vivid and revealing. The notion that Merlin also voyaged to the New World seems ridiculous. However, the author demonstrates that there is a sequence of locations in the rather fanciful and elaborate Dark Age saga, 'The Voyage of Mael Duin's Boat', that is linked to the Merlin legend (however incongruously) that appears to describe a route to the north-eastern United States via Iceland (the route later taken by the Vikings). Although the term proof can never be ascribed to this idea, it does have an air of plausibility. The final theme explored in the book is on safer ground. Assuming that the real historical identities of Arthur and Merlin discovered by the author are true (as seems likely given the mounting evidence compiled in both this and the earlier work - and the lack of evidence for any other theory), then family trees for the ruling House of Windsor in the UK clearly demonstrate a link between the heir to the Heir Apparent to the throne (that would be Prince William then via the late Diana Spencer) and both Arthur and Merlin. Certain to provoke many academics, this work could be easily dismissed as just another alternative history work. However, what cannot be easily dismissed are the arguments put forward by the author and the evidence he uses to back them up. Did I also mention that it's a real page-turner too?

This book of 'Merlin and the Discovery of Avalon' was such a magnificent historical insight into a legend we are all so familiar with - the Magician Merlin from the Arthurian legends. Mr. Phillip's theory to whom the 'real' Merlin may have been is both enthralling and fascinating and the historical man is even more interesting than any fantasy writer has written.

And how the royal line may actually be linked to the present day British royality through Lady Diana and the possible future King is quite remarkable to say the least.

If you are interested in King Arthur and all of his legends and true impacts he had on history - this is a book to not miss!

Merlin is well known as a Camelot wizard involved with King Arthur, but here's a different take from Graham Phillips, who spent twenty years uncovering evidence that Merlin was actually based on the life of the son of a Roman counsel who was the last of them to rule Britain in the 5th century A.D. Rather than ending his life in the mystical Avalon, Phillips argues that Merlin actual journeyed to the New World via the Arctic Sea: MERLIN AND THE DISCOVERY OF AVALON IN THE NEW WORLD provides the researched evidence to prove this point, and will be a 'must' for any Arthur/Merlin researchers.

Graham Phillips has written many related books about King Arthur, the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail. He has written about the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene who are related to those stories in some way. Now he sets his sights on who Merlin was and if he existed. Mr Phillips does find a Merlin existed, but went by the name Ambrose (Ambrosius) and was a king in his own right. The story of Merlin is quite fascinating, along with his real connection to Arthur, It is also proposed Merlin was the father of Guenevere, and is part of the bloodline.

The dedicated research in finding the clues is a difficult one as there are few of them out there. But many monasteries did keep records of names and bloodlines, so the conclusions about Merlin aren't far fetched.

The book also delves into the sword known to all as Excalibur, which would of been a pagan sword protected by the Celtic versions of Mercury and Minerva (Minerva, being a water goddess also, is the Roman version of Lady of the Lake). The special abilities any sword would have after a Druid Priestess blessed the sword would of given its bearer much confidence into battle.

The author also delves into Shakespeare and his involvement in this plot. He did suggest in an earlier book that Shakespeare was a court spy for Elizabeth I and the wealth he accumulated proves it (playwrites and actors made very little back then). He does suggest Shakespeare knew of a bloodline and possible British claim to the throne and was murdered for that reason.

Mr Phillips then sets out to find Avalon, and it might be in North America as there are some mysterious ruins which have never been explained out there. They do date to the time of Merlin, but they were not built by the natives.

This book was a great joy to read, with all of its plot twists and intrigue. Even the author claims people are trying to get at the information and notes he has on the subject. Princess Diana of the Spencer family (the Goddess Diana also plays a part) and the Fifth Element also are part of this book.

Is it all true? I do think the author is on to something here and the research is there to show how he reaches his conclusions. There are still many questions left, but I am guessing they are for another book to pass the time.

If you are into Arthurian legend, Briton-Roman history, anything Welsh, Elizabethan Conspiracy theory, freemasons, and a grab bag of other interesting areas.. this is your book.

It is also a real page turner.. keeps me up late reading it almost like a thriller novel, but.. the bibliogrpahy belies an academic purpose behind the story!

Very cool. One of my favorite books.

I was initially very impressed with one of Mr. Phillips' numerous `sensational' books, and was particularly interested in one of his alleged sources, which I have continued to pursue for a number of years. Unfortunately, Mr. Phillips has based two of his books (The Search for the Grail and The Chalice of Magdalene) on the existence of an alleged Grail prose, La Folie Perceval, that he claims may in turn be based on the earliest Grail source. He claims that this prose is found within a manuscript preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, which is catalogued as MS fonds français 12577. This manuscript does indeed exist, and it does contain an illustration that is reproduced in Mr. Phillips' book (which he claims accompanies the prose), but the Bibliothèque Nationale itself has verified in writing that this manuscript does not contain the alleged prose, La Folie Perceval. A Professor of English in the U.S., with a Ph. D. in medieval and renaissance literature, and who teaches Arthurian romance, has informed me that he is completely unaware of the existence of such a text, which would be extremely important and certainly known to Grail romance scholars if it did exist. A very well-known and respected Arthurian scholar, translator and author, in the United Kingdom, has also informed me that he is almost certain that the manuscript does not contain the La Foli Perceval prose, that he has never come across this prose, that he has not seen any reference to it in any serious scholarly work, and that he is almost certain that La Folie Perceval prose may be a fabrication. I have contacted Mr. Phillips by email and asked him for further details concerning the actual location of this prose and/or other references that discuss this document, on four separate occasions over a period of almost four years (the last time was over a month ago, addressed to an email address on his own website), but unfortunatly, he has continually refused to respond and help establish some credence concerning his increasingly dubious source. The reader is warned that, based on the results of the research I have conducted concerning this source, it is my opinion that there `may' be some significant concern about the credibility of this author, and the reader is therefore encouraged to check the sources very carefully on his/her own before seriously considering any of his `sensational' claims.

I brought this book for my sister's birthday, she was Merlin in a past lifetime. She loved the book.

Look at the other titles written by this author -- Atlantis, the Knights Templar, the Virgin Mary Conspiracy. Nobody with any credibility has expertise in all these fields. They're sensationalist, adventure stories masquerading as history.