Rennessence

Chris Millar, alias Rat Scabies, is the godfather of punk and the most accomplished drummer of his day. He founded the seminal punk band The Dammed and produced anthems such as ‘New Rose’. He’s also a Grail hero and respected Rennes-le-Château aficionado. Serendipitously, Rat has done for punk what The Holy Blood and Holy Grail did for Rennes-le-Château; he kicked the whole thing off. And his book, Rat Scabies and the Holy Grail, which is authored by Christopher Dawe, remains on the best written books in the genre and certainly the most entertaining.

The career of Irish born author Tim Wallace-Murphy has ebbed and flowed around the mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau for decades. From The Mask of the Beast, which he co-authored with the legendary Trevor Hopkins, to Rosslyn: Guardian of the Secrets of the Holy Grail (with Marilyn Hopkins). Another classic is Rex Deus, The True Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau and the Dynasty of Jesus, which he co-wrote with Graham Simmans and Marilyn Hopkins, and which is being reissued. Wallace-Murphy has contributed more, and for longer, than most. With Henry Lincoln, Tim Wallace-Murphy is truly one of the elder statesmen of the genre.

Kathleen McGowan’s publishing career began with the debut of her novel, The Expected One, on the New York Times bestseller list. The Expected One and its sequel The Book of Love, are based on 20 years of research on four continents into the history of women in Christianity and their long-forgotten role in the development of global spirituality. During her time abroad, McGowan’s quest was fuelled by international folklore, mythology and universal storytelling in Europe and the Middle East. Her passion for legends that speak to the human spirit has earned her a devoted, worldwide fan base while making her a bestseller worldwide. A third generation native of Hollywood, Kathleen is as comfortable in the film world as she is in publishing, and has multiple film and television projects in various stages of development.

Guy Patton is the author of the superb Rennes-le-Château conflict and conspiracy book, Web of Gold. He’s lived in Malta, spent a lot of time researching in the Languedoc and now lives in England, where he chairs the esteemed ‘Rennes Group’, one of the genre’s most respected Rennes-le-Chäteau research and discussion groups.

Patton offers a unique blend of historical and political perspective on the mystery.

Hugo Soskin has led a fascinating life at the epicenter of Rennes-le-Château madness. This should come as no surprise, for he is the son of the Rennes-le-Château legend, Henry Lincoln. Still, it would be fair to call Hugo a reluctant Rennie, for he has little time for the alleged mystery and the craziness that comes along with it. However, that has not stopped him from embarking on his own adventure, having worked on a campsite for a season where he absorbed the culture and rhythms of life in Rennes-les-Bains. In fact Hugo’s entire life has in one way or another been in the shadow of Rennes-le-Château.

Henry Lincoln introduced the mystery of Rennes-le-Château to the English-speaking world, through a series of BBC documentaries, starting in 1972. In 1982, he co-authored the landmark The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, followed by The Messianic Legacy - each with Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh.

Lincoln went on to author The Holy Place: Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau - Discovering the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World, Key to the Sacred Pattern: The Untold Story of Rennes-le-Château and co-authored The Templars’ Secret Island: The Knights, The Priest and The Treasure, with Erling Haagensen. Lincoln’s legacy includes his dramatic and often murky first hand contact with Pierre Plantard and Gerald de Sède, the development of the Poussin aspect of the mystery, as well as the discovery of natural and man made pentagrams in the landscape around Rennes-le-Château.

Bill Kersey has quietly amassed an impressive career in Rennes-le-Château research. His book, Still Spins the Spider, provided insight into RLC and its secrets, while his translation of Gérard de Sède’s The Accursed Treasure of Rennes Le Chateau provided the English speaking world with their first exposure to the mystery’s original account.

Steve Berry is a lawyer turned novelist who, after 12 years of submitting manuscripts and 85 rejections, has now joined an elite group of international best sellers. Berry now has over 6 million books in print in 43 countries and 41 languages. In his novel, The Templar Legacy, a world bestseller, Barry tackled the mystery of Rennes-le-Château and linked it with the Knights Templar, past and present. In his latest book, just out, The Venetian Betrayal, Barry writes with authority on the mystery of Alexander the Great, amongst other esoteric topics.

Kate Mosse, author of the international best seller ‘Labyrinth’, is a respected researcher who brought a refreshingly new atmosphere to medieval and modern Catharism. Like ‘Labyrinth’, her new book ‘Sepulchre’, is set in her adopted home region of the Languedoc. Only this time Mosse’s novel has been greatly inspired by the Rennes-le-Château storyline, and especially Abbé Antoine Gélis’ murder. Has Mosse concealed a revelation in her latest work of fiction?

Karl Hammer Katee caused quite a stir when he published his book ‘Satan’s Song’ in the Netherlands. Although a novel, the author stated it was the true story of Dutch secret service art agent Tom R. who accidentally discovered a trail from Jan van Eyck’s famous Ghent Altar Piece ‘the adoration of the Lamb’ to the Arma Christi, while he was investigating the art treasures stolen by the Nazis just after World War II. The false trail and clues he created to hide his discoveries from the CIA were, he claims, picked up by the authors of ‘Holy Blood, Holy Grail’.