Customer Reviews

The Secret History of the World

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"Jonathan Black," a.k.a. Mark Booth, would like you to believe that what he is offering here is not merely the crazed construction of his own fevered imagination but the actual REAL "secret history" of the world as handed down through the ages. This is all based on the notion that a mysterious visitor to the store where he worked, member of some unspecified secret society, took a liking to him and, considering him a potential initiate, had lengthy conversations in which he spilled numerous mind-shattering revelations. But when it came time to take that final step to become an initiate Booth backed down, realizing he would rather remain free to pursue his own Quest for Knowledge, and also get a book out of the deal.

He relies on these "insider revelations" to dispense with the troublesome need to back up anything he says with any sort of scholarly research, footnotes, or anything whatsoever. We are basically supposed to take his word that these "insider revelations" were not only real but trustworthy. Doesn't it seem odd that a genuine member of a secret society would spill the secrets of their sect to a potential initiate, BEFORE he was initiated? Isn't it sort of the whole point of secret societies, that they keep their secrets? If secret societies are as sneaky as they're cracked up to be wouldn't it seem just as likely that this fellow (if he in fact existed) might feed the author a bunch of fake material, knowing he would publish it as a book of nonsense that would throw people even further off the track? Or maybe Mr. Booth is HIMSELF some sort of Illuminati disinformation agent? Or, maybe he just made all this stuff up...

Reading the book makes for a rather uneven experience. Sizeable chunks of it are interesting and maybe even inspired. But in many, many places it's painfully obvious that the author did a little research on some subject, enough to get a superficial understanding, and then crammed it into his overall scenario. Anyone who has done much reading on Akhenaten, for example, will find his portrayal of that Pharaoh a simple-minded caricature. Elsewhere in the book he dispenses with both Neoplatonism and Gnostic Christianity, and the notion they might have any sort of philosophical depth, in one stunningly ignorant paragraph. Readers adept in other areas of knowledge will likely find other instances of ignorance or downright idiocy. The author's credibility is further undermined by basic errors of fact and dating (even a blatantly misattributed picture, on p.223 of the hardback edition, pointed out by another reviewer).

The best approach to this book is probably to drop any idea that it has anything remotely to do with reality and treat it as pure phantasmagoria. Just pretend you're reading Alice in Wonderland. I could almost imagine Lewis Carroll writing something like this, if he time-traveled to the 21st century and took a bunch of LSD. Read in this way, the book is often entertaining (though still often infuriating). It is definitely inventive, as even those who despise it would have to admit. Even if the author is just making it all up he has obviously spent a great deal of time thinking over these matters and has come up with a few genuine insights, which might even strike some readers as "revelations." Alternate-history aficionados in particular are likely to find a few nuggets among the nonsense.

For anyone interested in esoteric matters, mysteries, legends and many of the "is it true?" questions that haunt the world's myths and legends, this book is a must. From the world's beginnings, back in the mists of time, right through to present day, the author unfolds an ideology that many will find riveting, but equally as many will find either incomprehensible or down right unacceptable. True, some of the ideas tease the imagination and here the author warns sceptical readers to skip certain portions. For my part, I would advise them to press on. The cover copy suggests that Dan Brown may have used this as his reference guide to The Lost Symbol. I would agree, and also say that The Secret History of the World is far more intriguing and exciting than The Lost Symbol. The author delves into Freemason matters, and offers a balanced view of their not-secret secret society. But that's not the main thrust of this work. He also links many of the ideas of the world's superheroes of legend, science, the arts and literature in an incredible way. His ideas on why certain individuals have emerged in world history as charismatic forces either for good or evil are thought provoking. To say more would be to spoil the book for potential readers. My only complaint was that the book could have been double in size. The author tends to skim over areas that really begged for more explanation and I can only think this is because the author assumes the readers already have a knowledge of such matters. Fascinating topic and equally fascinating book!

Hi, i am almost finished reading this book, and i got to say this book is good but a little bit bland. However it has vast knowledge instilled, but you got to have a present understanding of the world's history to begin with and some spiritual understanding as well. I am not saying about religion believes but a rather spiritual aspect from Hindu or Buddhism or Abraham'a religion basic understanding. Even Astrology is also essential. i would rather warn that this book is not intended to light minded as its easy to toss it away. However it will make you dig more resources to know about the characters of history explain here.. So i would not suggest this book if u want to know secret 'history' without knowing normal history. This is an exelent read for people who has basic knowledge in this kind of genre. By the way a note of caution, reading this inspired by Dan Brown's work will leave you at a lost..because there is no riddle's or chases involved.

It took a great deal of research to compile such a wide range of history into one volume. The significance of this work is that it brings to light the true motivations for some of the greatest work in history. I have studied the esoteric for many years and history for much longer. If you like either of these subjects, you will be fascinated by this work. However, it doesn't give you nearly all the secrets and it should wet your appetite to dig deeper for more. I listened to the audio version which was read with a great English accent and now I am buying the book.

A magnificent and Inspiring account of how our historic Mythology when researched reveals actual fact hidden in superstition and fiction. Mark Booth (jonathan black) has managed to unveil some incredible, unbelievable and yet factual secret historical accounts of how our 'wise old elders' have deliberately misled, lied, spun propaganda and prepared a false 'western world history' for us simple folk to all 'numbly sleep upon' like innocent Jacob on his rock dreaming of a ladder (step pyramid) to heaven - which strangely is said to be the actual rock (the Scone) beneath The Royal Coronation Throne of England since King Edward!! ...what is a Hebrew/Israelite rock doing in a Catholic Throne upon a 'step pyramid-like' mount in the English throne room?? ...weird! This book exposes a wealth of historic facts that have become our mythology.
... It makes one want to do their own detective investigations into our true past and really open doorways into many other myth questions - ie: if historians can lie to us about such foundation facts, what about the history of our Religions and our Ruling Classes? What did they leave out or hide, disguise, make myth, during times of political upheaval? Are our "selected" Bloodroyals - many of the European Leaders and US Presidents, all the inbred Royal Families (Hapsburg, saxe-coburg-gothe, etc), The Banker Rothschilds 13 Elite Families etc - linked to an ancient Hebrew/Hyksos Kings tribe that ruled Egypt, then driven out to conquer the Canaanites and establish Israel? One of the twelve (ten?) tribes of Israel called The Dan sailed from Israel after the continuous Assyrian (722BCE), Babylonian (722-586BCE) and Roman (63BCE-100CE) invasions which altered the state to Palestine until 1948. The Ancient sea faring Tribe of Dan (The VI-kings or 6 Kings come from the Hyksos Kings and Israelites that fled Egypt... the Snake/Dragon ships of the Vikings had 6 vertical red stripes (or bloodlines) in their sails, to symbolize their 6 Kings. It is said that their 6 Kings were buried standing in 6 vertical shafts with their armor and jewels and gold. [That is also why the U.S. Flag has 13 stripes...it is the inversion of the Viking Sail representing their Israelite heritage] The Tribe of Dan under whom we call Danes and Vikings also went on to invade Europe, England and named the Danube and Denmark. They also established the English Royal bloodline with King Cnut). If this is a true history then Queen Elizabeth II could be said to be related to the Hyksos Kings and Ptolemy Pharaohs. These are AMAZINGLY compatible with their Biblical timeline figures: Abraham (Amenemhet I), Moses (Thutmose III), King David (Psusennes I), King Solomon (Siamun), Mary (Cleopatra - who claimed her child Cesarean was of Virgin birth to Amen-Ra - why do christians always praise Amen after a prayer?) and Jesus (Cesarean - only son of Julius Caesar (JC?)/Amen-Ra who escaped Caesar Augustus invasion of Egypt and wandered India and England to return to Israel to take his Throne by way of a religious order claiming to be the Son of GOD, cleverly using similarities with himself and Osiris, Gilgamesh and other great figures of destiny). The genealogy through the Vikings, Hyksos Kings and the Ptolemy Pharaohs (after Alexander) who may have changed their Hebrew identities to remain in Egypt and rule as Egyptians as a secret society!? Why are the Pharaohs names never mentioned in the Bible - yet at the same period of time there are 'actual' people who were Pharaohs of a very "similar" nature (we are led to believe the bible is based on historical fact after all) - so to read a myth breaking book like THIS is to open a mind doorway into the reality of our history and events and truly awaken the knowledge of where we come from. In the classic phrase - how can we know where we are going as a people, if we don't know where we are coming from... and if only a select 'secret society' knows these facts then we are all so easily led into paths that continue the mistakes of the past. Read the book and be fascinated.

I received my book in a timely manner and it was just like a new book. I have read it and found it to be very interesting. Not really my views,I thought it would have been different. But it was a good read.

I listened to this book in hour-long chunks. My first impression was that it was going to be interesting and informative, but as the references to esoteric philosophy, secret societies, and Freemasonic doctrine came thicker and faster, I became increasingly impatient -- until finally I realised that this book adds up to an enormous "so what?" This is emphatically not a secret history: It is an attempt to have us believe that there exists a mysterious cartel of Freemasons, Rosicrucians and the like who are in some way in charge of the world. Whether it is an invitation to join the Freemasons I am not quite sure, but I have a feeling it is. But the author , whatever his name is (he uses different names for different editions of this book) seems to shoot himself in the foot rather when he mentions that Napoleon, Karl Marx , Lenin and Trotsky were Freemasons. What particularly amazed me was that the earnest voice relating this so-called history actually seemed to believe the pseudo-history he was preaching. He mentions esoteric philosophy on many occasions and I was inclined to wonder what he meant by it. His attack on existentialism and his apparent misconception of Descartes' Cogito argument indicated to me that he has only a very slight grasp of the real problems of philosophy. More than that, the book does nothing to help us improve the human condition, nor will it further world peace or human happiness. It is, I'm afraid, four hours of beautifully enunciated, self indulgent tosh.

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I should know by now not to buy books in airports when I'm in a hurry. Jonathan Black's "The Secret History of the World" is the sort of thing I invariably grab as a result when I do - and regret soon afterwards as I'm forced to read it or watch the in-flight Disney movie.

As "history" goes, the book isn't. As a one-sided collection of conspiracy rubbish and pseudo science, that the author appears to believe all of, it gets full marks. For instance, did you know that that Roscicrucian "philosophy" when applied to human internal organs when drawn by someone called Rudolf Steiner looks a little little like Roscicrucian "philosophy" when applied to how Roscicrucians believe the outlay of the planets to look? Now imagine this kind of thing for over five hundred pages and you begin to understand why Graham Hancock likes this book and anyone with a real education (and, lacking the kind of 'insight' the 'mother godess' gives), wont.

Imagine this kind of thing being illustrated by the kinds of perception tests rolled out in modern corporate training ('do you see the old or the young woman'?), and imagine trying not to laugh when you learn that Napoleon and Alexander the Great came undone when the happy-benign entities living inside them decided to move out. Do yourself a favour, instead pick up a book with more depth and meaning. Any phone directory is probably a better read.