The Secrets Series

Secrets of the CodeSecrets of The Code
The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind "The Da Vinci Code"

Secrets of the Code is a sweeping tour, guided by world-renowned experts, through the provocative ideas raised in the bestselling novel and block buster film. This new and updated paperback edition features exciting new material, including a mini-biography of novelist Dan Brown, commentaries on modern-day Holy Grail hunters, The Da Vinci Code and Jewish culture, lost Leonardo paintings, predictions about Dan Brown’s next novel, and much, much more.

And the best of the earlier edition remains: the thorough exploration of the religious, historic, artistic, and scientific questions that emerge in the novel. It features interviews and commentary by renowned scholars, theologians, scientists and historians on such topics as the true identity of Mary Magdalene and feminine influences in the early days of Christianity, the Gnostic Gospels and other alternative scriptures, the meaning of the search for the Holy Grail in history, the facts concerning the secret societies discussed in The Da Vinci Code from the Priory of Sion to Opus Dei, and much more.

Secrets of the Code has fully satisfied the curiosity of over a million readers worldwide. Here’s why:

“After reading 11 debunker books, I consider Dan Burstein’s Secrets of the Code to be the best of the lot.” –Marcia Ford, Faithful Reader.com

 “Secrets of the Code is a veritable Da Vinci Code encyclopedia--a lively combination of interviews, commentaries and extracts from Dan Brown's sources which will give you a taste of the issues which have been thrown into the debate.” –The Rough Guide to TheDa Vinci Code.

 “What does Burstein's book offer that the other tag-along books don't? For starters, he unravels a hidden message on the dust jacket of the hardcover edition, and, unlike the others, he doesn't attack the book from a religious standpoint.” ­– The Wall Street Journal

Readers of the book and viewers of the movie want to know more. Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code provides the answers.

What the author says

While reading The Da Vinci Code, award-winning journalist Dan Burstein became so intrigued with its fascinating mix of little-known facts, informed speculations, and fictional inventions that he was propelled to delve into a research project of epic proportions, investigating the multi-faceted themes woven into the plot of the novel. The result is Secrets of the Code, a highly praised work that distills from a vast body of knowledge the most thought-provoking theses of the world’s most respected scholars.

"My goal in writing Secrets was to explore all the major mysteries of history—from religious history to art history—suggested by the plot of The Da Vinci Code. I assume there are a lot of other readers out there like myself who want to know what is fact and what is fiction in The Da Vinci Code. Secrets will give everyone the tools to be able to develop their own ideas in response to many of the provocative questions the novel touches on,” said Burstein.

A shorthand preview of Burstein’s overall conclusions about the authenticity of The Da Vinci Code: “The further Dan Brown goes back in time, the more he stands on credible intellectual ground. However, as we fast forward through history, The Da Vinci Code remains a fascinating story, but it becomes further and further uncoupled from serious scholarship."

Meticulously researched and compulsively readable, Secrets of the Code provides views and commentary to help readers sort out fact from fiction. The book also captures in one volume the best of all the media commentary prompted by The Da Vinci Code. With its rich content and diverse perspectives on all the major questions, Secrets of the Code is perfect for book clubs and discussion groups.

The compelling themes addressed in Secrets of the Code can be seen in the full table of contents and the wide range of expertise represented, both shown below.

For the full table of contents, click here.

For the full list of contributors, click here.