The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail

Written by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln, the book provides the factual basis for the international best seller The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown.
Story began the little village of Rennes-le-Chateau, its chapel, the father and his housekeeper. Most of the first half is trying to establish the lineage and the history behind Jesus' dynasty. Some parts elaborated and went in depth with the history. Information on Knights Templar, Paganism, Emperor Constantine are brought forth to set the stage for the second half. Although they ended every chapter with the question 'why?' the authors didn't explain further details until part two of the book.
The second half of the book delved into the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ. It, for the most part, reiterated what Dan Brown had explored in the Da Vinci Code. But it went further on explaining the excavations and things forth. It spoke of the efforts taken by the church to eradicate all records. And lots of other details, delving deeper into the mysteries that were unknown before.
I'm not a great fan of history. But I didn't suck at it either. There was definitely too much detail for me to absorb. The descendants and lineage and marriages between families was definitely an overkill for a reader looking just for the basic evidence. Yet, it was a good attempt as what I read, I understood, just couldn't retain. An interesting book to read to see a different viewpoint on history and religion.