Lee
There are many books, and most probably bear a basis of historical accuracy. Each disciple created a following in different regions, to whom the religion maintained a degree of loyalty. Gospels based each were written based on their teachings, which may not have completely agreed. Acts for each apostle, recording their accounts, were written.
The current church is mostly based around the church of Peter, but it was the theology of Paul which often prevailed, as he was a prolific traveler, and an educated and prolific writer. It was Paul who shouted down the pillar of the church (Peter) and his opinion prevailed. With the destruction of the other four Sees, the destruction of writings, so much was lost, and only one set of doctrine prevailed - except in the churches established in The region of India, which were established by Thomas and lost contact with the other Sees. I forget the time frame, but the church sent missionaries to spread the good news to that area, only to find churches already existed; and the churches traced their origins back to Thomas - who was pretty much forgotten in the canonical book of Acts. But there is an interesting read in the recently rediscovered Acts of Thomas. The oldest known gospel, as pretty much accepted by most scholars, is actually the Gospel of Thomas. But it is a sayings gospel only, indicative of the era, and offers no context. Fortunately, Iraneous and his ilk did not destroy all the books he personally considered heretical. Many he did, such as the Gospel of Mary. Only a portion of the book still exists.
