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The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code
Millions have been enthralled by The Da Vinci Code's fascinating historical speculations-and the blockbuster novel's audience has also made bestsellers of several books offering to separate the facts from the fiction. This comprehensive, encyclopedic volume is written by an acclaimed medievalist-and takes an objective, history-based approach to the phenomenon and the questions it has raised. The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code gives easy-to-find, clear answers about the people, places, and events that play roles in Dan Brown's tantalizing thriller in a lively, encyclopedic format-shedding new light on some of the deepest mysteries of the Dark Ages.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2005
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193 people want to read
About the author
Sharan Newman
52 books194 followersSharan Newman is a medieval historian and author. She took her Master’s degree in Medieval Literature at Michigan State University and then did her doctoral work at the University of California at Santa Barbara in Medieval Studies, specializing in twelfth-century France. She is a member of the Medieval Academy and the Medieval Association of the Pacific.
Rather than teach, Newman chose to use her education to write novels set in the Middle Ages, including three Arthurian fantasies and ten mysteries set in twelfth-century France, featuring Catherine LeVendeur a one-time student of Heloise at the Paraclete, her husband, Edgar, an Anglo-Scot and Solomon, a Jewish merchant of Paris. The books focus on the life of the bourgeoisie and minor nobility and also the uneasy relations between Christians and Jews at that time. They also incorporate events of the twelfth-century such as the Second Crusade and the rise of the Cathars.
For these books, Newman has done research at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique France Méridionale et Espagne at the University of Toulouse and the Institute for Jewish History at the University of Trier, as well as many departmental archives.
The Catherine Levendeur mysteries have been nominated for many awards. Sharan won the Macavity Award for best first mystery for Death Comes As Epiphany and the Herodotus Award for best historical mystery of 1998 for Cursed in the Blood. The most recent book in the series The Witch in the Well won the Bruce Alexander award for best Historical mystery of 2004.
Just for a change, her next mystery, The Shanghai Tunnel is set in Portland in 1868.
The Shanghai Tunnel allowed Sharan Newman to explore the history of the city she grew up in. She found that the history she had been taught in school had been seriously whitewashed. Doing research in the city archives as well as the collections at Reed College and the Oregon Historical society was exciting and eye-opening. Many of the “founding fathers” of Portland turn out to have been unscrupulous financiers. Chinese workers were subject to discrimination and there was an active red light district.
On the other hand, Portland in the post-Civil War period also saw some amazingly liberal movements. Women’s rights were an important issue as was religious toleration. Even at that early date, preserving the natural environment was hotly debated.
This is the world in which Emily Stratton, the widow of a Portland merchant and the daughter of missionaries to China, finds herself.
Newman has written a non-fiction book, The Real History Behind the Da Vince Code Berkley 2005. It is in encyclopedia format and gives information on various topics mentioned in Dan Brown’s novel. Following on that she has just completed the Real History Behind the Templars published by Berkley in September of 2007.
She lives on a mountainside in Oregon.
(Text taken from: http://www.sharannewman.com/bio.html )
Rather than teach, Newman chose to use her education to write novels set in the Middle Ages, including three Arthurian fantasies and ten mysteries set in twelfth-century France, featuring Catherine LeVendeur a one-time student of Heloise at the Paraclete, her husband, Edgar, an Anglo-Scot and Solomon, a Jewish merchant of Paris. The books focus on the life of the bourgeoisie and minor nobility and also the uneasy relations between Christians and Jews at that time. They also incorporate events of the twelfth-century such as the Second Crusade and the rise of the Cathars.
For these books, Newman has done research at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique France Méridionale et Espagne at the University of Toulouse and the Institute for Jewish History at the University of Trier, as well as many departmental archives.
The Catherine Levendeur mysteries have been nominated for many awards. Sharan won the Macavity Award for best first mystery for Death Comes As Epiphany and the Herodotus Award for best historical mystery of 1998 for Cursed in the Blood. The most recent book in the series The Witch in the Well won the Bruce Alexander award for best Historical mystery of 2004.
Just for a change, her next mystery, The Shanghai Tunnel is set in Portland in 1868.
The Shanghai Tunnel allowed Sharan Newman to explore the history of the city she grew up in. She found that the history she had been taught in school had been seriously whitewashed. Doing research in the city archives as well as the collections at Reed College and the Oregon Historical society was exciting and eye-opening. Many of the “founding fathers” of Portland turn out to have been unscrupulous financiers. Chinese workers were subject to discrimination and there was an active red light district.
On the other hand, Portland in the post-Civil War period also saw some amazingly liberal movements. Women’s rights were an important issue as was religious toleration. Even at that early date, preserving the natural environment was hotly debated.
This is the world in which Emily Stratton, the widow of a Portland merchant and the daughter of missionaries to China, finds herself.
Newman has written a non-fiction book, The Real History Behind the Da Vince Code Berkley 2005. It is in encyclopedia format and gives information on various topics mentioned in Dan Brown’s novel. Following on that she has just completed the Real History Behind the Templars published by Berkley in September of 2007.
She lives on a mountainside in Oregon.
(Text taken from: http://www.sharannewman.com/bio.html )
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 29, 2020
Skaičiau šią knygą lietuvių kalba "Iškoduoti Da Vinčio kodą". Perskaičiau iš kart po Dan Brown. Čia radau daug informacijos ir istorijos. Aprašyti visi žmonės bei vietos iš romano, netgi pateiktos kai kurios foto. Paaiškintos sąvokos. Autorė pateikia visą sąrašą šaltinių, kuriais rėmėsi ir atliko tyrinėjimus. Pasirodo, kad net romano herojų vardai parinkti neatsitiktinai. Turėjau tikrai įdomaus laiko skaitant šias abi knygas, rekomenduoju.
🖋️ Istorinį asmenį apgaubę tiek mitų ir legendų sluoksnių, o žinių iš pirmųjų šaltinių tiek mažai, kad tiesos galim taip ir nesužinoti.
🖋️ Istorinį asmenį apgaubę tiek mitų ir legendų sluoksnių, o žinių iš pirmųjų šaltinių tiek mažai, kad tiesos galim taip ir nesužinoti.
October 25, 2009
A well researched book that corrects the mistakes found in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. If you want to find out the truth behind the people, places, and events found in Brown's novel, I highly recommend reading this book as well.
May 9, 2020
A good overview of all the historical topics in Brown's book
June 20, 2016
Sharan Newman is a medieval scholar and gives an Apocrypha to Wren, Christopher collection of research pertaining to the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown in this book, published 2005.
Some of this information I knew, and it was refreshing and enriching to read actually research rather than romanticized speculation. [New information may come to light at any time, of course.]
For me, the most interesting chapter was the one entitled Mary Magdalene. It begins: "WHICH MARY?" An excellent question, as there were so many Marys mentioned at that time in the Bible, and sometimes insufficiently identified.
Wonderful bit of scholarly debunking occurs in the section entitled "MARY AND THE POPE." Newman takes the time to discover the word Pope Gregory the Great [560-604] used regarding Mary Magdalene was "peccatrix," which means "sinner," rather than "meretrix," which does mean "prostitute." Gosh! Funny how people can read what they assume is there, rather than what is actually written.
Much more good info awaits the reader of this book!
Some of this information I knew, and it was refreshing and enriching to read actually research rather than romanticized speculation. [New information may come to light at any time, of course.]
For me, the most interesting chapter was the one entitled Mary Magdalene. It begins: "WHICH MARY?" An excellent question, as there were so many Marys mentioned at that time in the Bible, and sometimes insufficiently identified.
Wonderful bit of scholarly debunking occurs in the section entitled "MARY AND THE POPE." Newman takes the time to discover the word Pope Gregory the Great [560-604] used regarding Mary Magdalene was "peccatrix," which means "sinner," rather than "meretrix," which does mean "prostitute." Gosh! Funny how people can read what they assume is there, rather than what is actually written.
Much more good info awaits the reader of this book!
February 18, 2007
I only added this book because the author is excellent. I'm a bit dismayed to find that this is the only book that they have listed for her. She is first and foremost an author of historical fiction and she's excellent. I've even had the privilege to correspond with her. Her books -The Catherine LeVendeur series take place in 12th century France in a time where it's becoming dangerous to be a Jew. Catherine is a French Christian but a family secret threatens both the safety and livelihood
of her family. Really fascinating series.
of her family. Really fascinating series.
June 7, 2010
How disappointed I am these days that even good publishers like Penguin fail to proofread books. When you are paying A$20 for a book, one does expect that typos and misspellings should not be included in the purchase price.
But what of the content? Well, anyone could have written this book with some access to Wikipedia and a good library. Her attempts at humour were originally amusing but eventually boring and predictable. Where she didn't know the answer to something, she just didn't do the research. She more or less left the issue untouched. I'd not bother reading this book.
But what of the content? Well, anyone could have written this book with some access to Wikipedia and a good library. Her attempts at humour were originally amusing but eventually boring and predictable. Where she didn't know the answer to something, she just didn't do the research. She more or less left the issue untouched. I'd not bother reading this book.
August 24, 2014
A very interesting book giving the reality of the Da Vinci Code. Actually, mostly proving that the research behind the Da Vinci Code was lazy and best, and spurious as worst.
Vastly entertaining, but won't be of interest to anyone who believes the crap in the book. Could quite conceivably make some like that's head explode.
Vastly entertaining, but won't be of interest to anyone who believes the crap in the book. Could quite conceivably make some like that's head explode.
March 27, 2015
Author Sharan Newman brings together a wealth of research and insight about Gnosticism and the Church which sheds light on the Da Vinci Code.
August 15, 2017
If you read the "Va Vinci Code" you must read this book by Sharan Newman. I was trying to read both at the same time and gave up because Newman's was much more entertaining and informative.
January 10, 2018
Disappointing
After reading The Davinci Code for the second time, I was looking forward to reading an expert analysis of the history upon which it was
Based
Unfortunately, in reading this book, I could not get past the many grammatical errors, lack of appropriate punctuation and run on words.
The author, an educator, apparently did not take the time nor feel the need to review or proofread her document. This causes me to question the accuracy of the content. Very disappointing!
After reading The Davinci Code for the second time, I was looking forward to reading an expert analysis of the history upon which it was
Based
Unfortunately, in reading this book, I could not get past the many grammatical errors, lack of appropriate punctuation and run on words.
The author, an educator, apparently did not take the time nor feel the need to review or proofread her document. This causes me to question the accuracy of the content. Very disappointing!
May 19, 2022
Well-researched with a sprinkling of humour, though readers may be disappointed to learn the extent of the creative liberties taken by Dan Brown.
December 4, 2024
Very good book if you want to know something more about history of christianity and many more
Read
July 31, 2011Gives a great deal of factual background on many of the mysterious and mythical elements of the Da Vinci Code.
September 8, 2012
It was okay;)
June 25, 2016
I am categorizing this with my mystery books because it makes more sense there to me.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews