Graham Phillips is a British author and historical mysteries researcher. From a background working as a reporter for BBC radio and a magazine editor, Phillips investigates in a journalistic fashion by piecing together historical source material and archaeological discoveries in an attempt to unravel the origins of various myths and legends. He has made a number of controversial claims concerning the Arthurian legend, such as the discovery of a small stone cup that he proposes was the original Holy Grail, the identification of a Roman ruin as the "historical Camelot", and the discovery of what he suggests is King Arthur’s grave. He has also investigated various biblical mysteries, again presenting some controversial theories, such as an alternative location for Mount Sinai at Petra in Jordan, an Egyptian staff in a British museum as the staff of Moses, and a grave on the British island of Anglesey as the tomb of the Virgin Mary.
The Green Stone (with Martin Keatman). Neville Spearman, 1983. ISBN 0-859780-60-0. Documents the authors’ search for a hidden jewel rumoured to have belonged to Mary Queen of Scots.
The Eye of Fire (with Martin Keatman). C.W. Daniel, 1986. ISBN 978-0-852071-72-4. An investigation into a Victorian secret society and the search for an ancient talisman they are said to have possessed.
King Arthur: The True Story (with Martin Keatman). Century, 1992. ISBN 978-0-712655-80-4. Researches the origins of the King Arthur myth, concluding that Arthur was an historical fifth-century warlord from the English Midlands.
The Shakespeare Conspiracy (with Martin Keatman). Century, 1994. ISBN 978-0-712658-83-6. Examines the evidence concerning the private life of William Shakespeare, and proposes that the playwright worked as a spy for the Protestant government of Queen Elizabeth I.
Robin Hood: The Man behind the Myth (with Martin Keatman). Michael O’Mara, 1995. ISBN 978-1-854799-96-8. Suggests that the legendary outlaw may have been a composite character based on three separate historical figures.
The Search for the Grail. Century, 1995. ISBN 978-0-712675-33-8. Proposes that the medieval Grail romances where based on the legend of a jar that was said to have belonged to Jesus’ follower Mary Magdalene.
Act of God. Sidgwick & Jackson, 1998. ISBN 978-0-283063-14-5. Investigates the biblical accounts of the Exodus, concluding that the plagues of the Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea were real historical events caused by a volcanic eruption.
The Marian Conspiracy. Sidgwick & Jackson, 2000. ISBN 978-0-283063-41-1. Examines the historical evidence concerning the life of the Virgin Mary and proposes that the true location of her tomb was kept secret by the Vatican.
The Moses Legacy. Sidgwick & Jackson, 2002. ISBN 978-0-283073-15-1. Explores the origins of Judaism by examining the historical and archeological evidence concerning the period of the Old Testament.
Alexander the Great: Murder in Babylon. Virgin Publishing, 2004. ISBN 978-1-852271-34-3. Investigates the mystery of Alexander’s death, concluding that he was poisoned by his wife Roxanne.
The Templars and the Ark of the Covenant. Bear & Company, 2004. ISBN 978-1-591430-39-1. An account of the author’s search for the biblical Ark of the Covenant by following a trail of clues purportedly left by the Knights Templars during the Middle Ages.
Merlin and the Discovery of Avalon in the New World. Bear & Company, 2005. ISBN 978-1-591430-47-6. Proposes that the Arthurian Merlin was based on an historical figure who sailed to America a thousand years before Columbus.
The End of Eden. Bear & Company, 2007. ISBN 978-1-591430-69-8. Advocates that a comet impact around 1500 BCE was responsible for the simultaneous collapse of various civilizations around the world.
Phillips has worked twice with British TV personality Tony Robinson and appeared in his documentaries Robin Hood: Fact or Fiction (2003) and The Real Da Vinci Code (2005), and with historian Michael Wood: In Search of Myths and Heroes: King Arthur (2005). He has made two guest appearances on Britain’s Channel Four Richard & Judy show: The Templars and the Ark of the Covenant (2004), and King Arthur: The True Story (2005). His investigations featured in two documentaries on the National Geographic Channel: The Hunt for the Lost Ark (2005) and Is it Real?: King Arthur (2007). Phillips’s search for the lost Ark was the subject of an episode of the Travel Channel and History Channel’s Legend Hunters series (The Ark of the Covenant, 2007) as was his investigation into the Grail legend (The Holy Grail, 2004). Phillips’s search for the Holy Grail formed part of the Lucasfilm documentary Indiana Jones and the Ultimate Quest about real-life Indiana Jones type researchers which accompanied the release of the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008. His research into the Grail and Camelot legend featured in the Travel Channel’s Weird Travels 2006 series (Weird Travels: The Quest for the Holy Grail). And his investigations into the secret life of William Shakespeare and the Grail legend formed part of the Discovery Channel’s Puzzles of the Past 2001 series (Master Spies and Holy Relics).
