The Atlas of Secret Societies [Hardcover]

David Barrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2009

Throughout history secret societies have exerted a powerful hidden influence on our culture, politics and spirituality.

Step into the shadowy world of secret societies with the latest edition to the illuminating Atlas series. Unlock the mysteries behind some of the world's most powerful covert organizations, some of which have faded into obscurity, others which still hold power today.

Often underpinned by mystical or religious principles, each society had clear political aims and sought to bring about social, moral and political change. From Chinese Triads to the Knights Templar, and from the Thuggee Cult to the Freemasons, The Atlas of Secret Societies explores the motives of each society, their purpose and what we know of their mysterious practices. Lavish artwork reconstructions depict the ancient rites and practices of selected societies, and take you into a fascinating and hidden world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David V. Barrett has been a teacher of Religious Studies and English, a computer programmer and intelligence analyst for the British and American governments, and a journalist.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Godsfield (March 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841813354
• ISBN-13: 978-1841813356
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,935,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Nice illustrations but poorly researched, August 31, 2009

By 

F. M. Redd "Scribe XYZ" (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Atlas of Secret Societies (Hardcover)

Once again we have another mishmash of information on purported "secret societies" cashing in on the DaVinci Code mentality.Like so many other mass market sensational books on this subject which often recycle the same illustrations from the Man,Myth & Magic series of the 1970's, the illustrations here are interesting --but the factual research is flawed.

One of the most valuable things I learned from my first graduate seminar in academic research was a section on "Why authors are inaccurate" and this work fits the criteria perfectly. I can always tell if an author has bothered to do his research whenever I see a history on modern Rosicrucians. The only discussion on AMORC occurs in a sidebar and focuses on the famous dispute between Clymer & Lewis.Controversy sells, I suppose. The author then flat-out states that AMORC was founded on a charter from Reuss's OTO. What a joke!! Any author with a reasonable sense of accuracy could have pulled up AMORC's actual history from the internet. [...]
While the intricacies of Rosicrucianism may appear complicated the historical facts of Lewis's trip to France in 1909 and subsequent founding of AMORC in 1915 are widely available.

The continued association of Crowley and the OTO with AMORC after all these years is not only ludicrous but
serves as a red flag that the author has not done his homework thus condemning the book's remaining research.
Having said this, the book might make a nice addition to your library after it has been remaindered

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Atlas of Secret of Secret Societies, May 24, 2009

By 

Steven D. Wittberger "Steve Wittberger" (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Atlas of Secret Societies (Hardcover)

I found this book to be a re-hash of almost everything I've come across regarding "secret" societies, with little, if anything, original about it.