Author talks tales of Covenant

WHERE is the Ark of the Covenant? Crowthorne-based Graham Addison says he can reveal all in his new book, Raiders of the Hidden Ark: The Story of the Parker expedition to Jerusalem.

The sacred object hasn’t been seen for more than 2,500 years.

Along the way, there have been many quests and even a film, in a bid to locate the ark, but nothing comes close to the Parker expeditions at the start of the 20th century.

Having never been told in full in English before, Mr Addison says he has uncovered many new details during his research.

The book tells the story of the individuals who believed they could retrieve the Ark from an underground hiding place.

They believed it was hidden in tunnels near Jerusalem, explored by Charles Warren 50 years before.

Mr Addison said readers will learn about an incredible true story that seems “stranger than fiction”.

He said: “Who could invent such a story of aristocrats, poets, psychics, a deadly curse, bribery, gun-running, riots, and madness?

“They will also learn about how the English upper-classes lived, and what Jerusalem was like at the start of the 20th century.”

Mr Addison was inspired by Simon Sebag Montefiore’s biography of Jerusalm, including pages about a group of Eton-educated men searching for the Ark.

“It just sounded so incredible,” he said. “Downton Abbey meets Indiana Jones meets Dan Brown.”

“When I tried to find more, I discovered that there was not much more written about the expedition and much was inaccurate,’’ he added.

“So I decided to try and tell the whole story and, in doing so, I also found the story was much more complex than first portrayed.”

Mr Addison’s first love is history, having gained a degree in the subject at Leeds University.

“After a career working in hitech companies, largely in the Thames Valley, I decided to return to my first love and write a history book, but one that was accessible and interesting,” he said.

Having been influenced by Ian Rankin’s work, Mr Addison said he wished he could have written one of Alexandre Dumas epic works, such as The Count of Monte Cristo.

Being his first book, Mr Addison also learnt a lot of new skills.

“At one point I had written 10,000 words on the history of Europeans seeking religious relics in the Holy Land.

“Early readers of the book said that it was just too long and was stopping them getting to the actual story,” he said.

After gaining feedback, he decided to cut most of it and it became only a couple of paragraphs.

“It was a painful lesson that just because something is interesting, it does not have to be in the book,” he said.

“You need to make sure what you write is relevant to the story.”

The book is available in ebook, paperback and hardback from Amazon and IngramSpark.

For more information, visit grahamaddison.com