Secret Societies: Inside History's Most Mysterious Organizations

by Kelly Knauer

In illuminating detail, the editors of "Time" illustrate the history and background of the most secretive and obscure organizations - cultural, political, occult, criminal, and social - ranging from the Sons of Liberty in the American colonies to the Bolshevik cells of czarist Russia and such otherworldly cults as Heaven's Gate. The book will help simplify the vague and obscure details in a new way through images, artefacts, and illustrations. Readers who enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code" and "The Lost Symbol" want to know, are Dan Brown's novels rooted in reality or are they primarily fiction? Books on this subject have been flying off the shelves to help readers demystify the secrets and legends of these organizations. In "Time's" book "Secret Societies", the editors will train a spotlight on the underground groups of Brown's novels and many more, separating fact from fiction and rumour from reality, revealing the most fascinating and influential secret organizations in history.

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a standard Time Life publication with this one dealing with secret societies and closed organizations. Each chapter gives a basic overview and history on various entities starting with the Freemasons, the Rosicrucians, the Illuminati, other fraternal organizations (Skull and Bones, Bohemian Grove, and other collegiate organizations such as Greek fraternities). The author presented religious and cult mentalities to include the Falun Gong in China, Warren Jeffs and the Fundamental Latter-day Saints (FLDS), the Manson Family, Jim Jones, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, Heaven's Gate, Scientology, and criminal organizations like the Mafia and the Ku Klux Klan. In between all this there was a 20-page chapter is dedicated to Dan Brown's world of Freemasonry and the Church, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, architecture, and Hollywood.

Overall this was a neat introduction to topics and organizations that can be read up on extensively. The photos and journalistic style of the book was good in my opinion. Thanks!

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This relatively short publication gives us a concise but very informative look at Societies ranging from the Knights Templar through the Ku Klux Klan and on to La Cosa Nostra. I wish I had read this before I discovered Dan Brown. There is also a comprehensive section on Dan Brown and his four thrillers and their symbolism. It also contains some very impressive photography. My only complaint is that some segments could have been fleshed out a little more. This was time well spent in my opinion.

[Donna Woodard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Answered my questions about Masons.

[Stacia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is mediocre at best. It's a very, very condensed version of various 'secret' societies w/ special emphasis on groups covered in various Dan Brown books. I enjoyed seeing some of the photos, but it was more of magazine-blurb type writing rather than anything in-depth. (Guess I should have suspected that w/ it being a Time publication, huh?) Most groups were ones I already knew at least a little about, so this book provided very little new info for me. Coverage of the groups was also quite uneven; some groups had pages while others had half a page or less. I really couldn't discern what or why some groups were included while others were not. Some of the writing was fairly impartial, while other parts had personal comments interjected by the writers. It might be ok if you're looking for a very broad listing of groups like this as a starting point which would lead you to more research; unfortunately, there is no bibliography. Overall, though, it's very uneven and too general to be of great interest, imo.

[Len Vandegrift · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is entertaining, though not very thorough. When people hear the term "secret society," their minds automatically jump to such notorious groups as the Masons and the Illuminati. However, neither group is given much attention here, in particular the Illuminati. Instead, the book focuses mostly on cults like People's Temple, the Manson Family, and so on. If anything, it offers the reader a diversion but not much that is substantial. At the very most, I suppose you could use it as a primer to direct your study on the various topic covered through other more developed sources.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read; obviously geared towards Dan Brown fans.