Rosslyn and the Grail [Paperback]

Ian Robertson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2006

Tens of millions of people worldwide learned of Scotland's Rosslyn Chapel in Dan Brown's blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code. Now, after 500 years shrouded in mystery and legend, the secrets of the chapel, the castle, King Arthur, and the quest for the Holy Grail are about to be revealed. The spellbinding story of Rosslyn brings together a host of figures from history and legend, including Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, Alexander the Great, William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, Joan of Arc, Sir Gawain, and Merlin the Wizard. Until now, no one has come close to unraveling the truth about Rosslyn. After more than a decade of research, two Scottish historians have finally uncovered the real story of Rosslyn and the Grail.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A rich story linking Arthurian legend with a remarkable Christian chapel, arrived at methodically on the basis of solid historical evidence.”
–The Herald

“The investigation is engrossing and the writers’ accessible style means the reader is not lost in a sea of arcane details.”
–Derby Evening Telegraph

About the Author

Mark Oxbrow and Ian Robertson have researched, written and lectured internationally on the history and legends of Rosslyn and King Arthur for over ten years. Both are Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Mainstream Publishing (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845961153
• ISBN-13: 978-1845961152
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,467,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining - but not what it says on the tin, September 4, 2006

By 

A. J. Bradbury "Andy B." (England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rosslyn and the Grail (Paperback)

To be completely accurate, the title of this book should read "Rosslyn, and the Grail". Because there is actually very little in this book that is about both Rosslyn AND the grail.

What we do have here is a great deal about Scottish myths and legends, quite a lot of which relates to Rosslyn, and a little of which relates to the grail. Moreover, a great deal of what concerns Rosslyn is really about Rosslyn CASTLE rather than Rosslyn CHAPEL. The promised revelation of the "secrets" of Rosslyn Chapel is contained in the 16 pages of the book's fourteenth and final chapter (there are a further 80 pages of appendices), and it really doesn't amount to much of any consequence.

I appreciate that the primary purpose of the book is to set the record straight regarding various distorted accounts about Rosslyn, the holy grail, King Arthur, etc., and the authors have done a reasonably good job in this regard. It must also be said, however, that the only real link between King Arthur and the holy grail is found in Robert De Boron's three part 'romance' - "Merlin and the Grail" - still available from Amazon.

(This is also the main source for the idea - crucial to the conspiracy theorists' ideas about Leonardo's painting of the Last Supper - that the grail was a "chalice". In Chretian de Troyes' story "Perceval" it was a dish, and in Wolfram von Eschenbach's story of "Parzival" it was a stone.)

On this basis much of the supposedly "historical" material is actually about the legends surrounding King Arthur and his knights, which is entertaining enough, if you like that sort of thing, but not pasrticularly useful as anything but a commentary on one very limited area of the literature of the 12-13th century.

In short, if you're looking for a very general guide to Scottish folklore, etc., you might well enjoy this book. But if you're looking for an in depth guide to "The truth behind The Da Vinci Code", as implied at the top of the front cover, then in my opinion this will be pretty much a waste of money.

(I would have given the book 3 or even 4 stars if it was presented as what it really is.)

3.0 out of 5 stars Debunks popular conspiracy theories, March 8, 2011

By 

Julie Merilatt "julzddm" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rosslyn and the Grail (Hardcover)

For those seeking conspiracy theories or confirmation that the Holy Grail is in fact hidden at Rosslyn Chapel, this book is not for you. Rather, this debunks popular theories that have developed over the centuries and presents the actual history of Rosslyn and the St. Clair family who founded the remarkable and enigmatic chapel. Sure, there are plenty of local legends in its history, including mythical creatures of Scotland and variations on the Arthurian legends. There were also significant historical figures who are affiliated with Rosslyn like Robert the Bruce, Joan of Arc and Mary Queen of Scots. People seeking riddles and codes among Rosslyn Chapel's hundreds of carvings will be disappointed to discover that there is a logical outline to these images that combine biblical chronology, the life of Christ and a celebration of nature. The narrative was often bogged down with the lineages of the St. Clairs, various local dialects and a myriad of names of people and locations. Readers interested in Scottish lore may benefit from the appendices. Overall, I did think it effectively outlined a concise history of Rosslyn and demystified this astonishing piece of architecture and art, but it could have been written in a more engaging way.