Rat Scabies and the Holy Grail by Christopher Dawes
This is the ultimate in road trip books. The author, a music writer for several magazines, has a neighbor. That neighbor is the extremely eccentric former drummer for the punk rock band, The Damned, known to the worlds at Rat Scabies. Rat is a stoner and an obssesive even in his advancing years. One obsession that Scabies has is the Holy Grail, or more specifically the aspect of it that concerns Rennes-le-Chateau in France.
For those of you, who like me, have not ventured into the world of The DaVinci Code, this may or may not be a total mystery. Having caught History Channel programs on the subjects covered in Dan Brown's book, I have a little bit of a jump on it.
Although a thorough understanding of the details and the mysteries involved might come in handy, this is more or less really a road book. Think Hope and Crosby on drugs. Some of the passages in Dawes story are frankly more hilarious than anything Hope & Crosby did on the big screen.
I have to say that this book will likely leave you wanting more. If thats the case, I will frequently be tackling other books on the subject and will update you on the best and worst of the selection. As far as Dan Brown's book, I'm going to commit the ultimate sin of a fanatic for books....I'm going to wait for the movie.
I'll rate this one 7 stars. Enjoy.
Winthrop
