Dan Brown's best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code, has become a global phenomenon, and introduced millions of readers to a mysterious world where Leonardo Da Vinci encoded hidden meanings into his paintings; strange symbols are engraved in a remote British chapel; and the Catholic church and an ancient secret society are locked into a centuries-old battle to gain control of the ultimate prize; the Holy Grail.

But how much of the novel is actually true and what is fictional distortion? Cracking the Da Vinci Code: An A to Z Guide to the Facts Behind the Fiction is the first book to cut through the confusion and disclose the amazing facts that underpin the plot. In a simple A-Z format it reveals the historical basis of the secrets contained in the book, including background information on all the key figures, reproductions of the symbols encoded in the paintings, and insider knowledge such as the riddles hidden in the characters' names.

Cracking the Da Vinci Code: An A to Z Guide to the Facts Behind the Fiction is an invaluable resource for the many enthusiasts of the novel and all those who want to learn more about the remarkable truth behind the legend of the Holy Grail. Everything you need to know about the facts behind the fiction, including entries on:

Church of Saint-SulpiceCryptologyFibonnaci SequenceGoddess WorshippingGolden RatioThe Holy GrailKnights TemplarLeonardo da VinciThe LouvreMary MagdaleneThe Mona LisaOpus DeiPagan SymbolsPentagramsPope Clement VThe Priory of SionThe Rose LineRosslyn ChapelSacred GeometrySolomon's TempleVitruvian Man
Simon Cox is the editor-in-chief of Phenomena, the magazine devoted to challenging dogmas, orthodoxies and half-truths. He has also worked as a researcher for some of the leading names in the alternative history field, including Robert Bauval, David Rohl and Graham Hancock. Simon is currently making a documentary based on the facts behind The Da Vinci Code for a major US production company.