Secret Societies: Illuminati, Freemasons, and the French Revolution [Paperback]

Una Birch (Author), James Wasserman (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2007

The greatest success of the Bavarian Illuminati conspiracy was the French Revolution of 1789. The profound impact of that Revolution is felt to this day in the political destinies of billions of people worldwide. The Illuminati had declared war against Church and State a decade earlier and worked feverishly to spread their new gospel of Liberty and Reason. Although the Order was officially suppressed on the eve of the Revolution, its efforts do not appear to have been in vain.

The recruiting program of Illuminati founder Adam Weishaupt was focused on attracting the powerful and influential government ministers, educators, the press, authors and philosophers, booksellers and publishers, even religious leaders open to agnostic or atheist views. Many such men belonged to the masonic lodges of Germany, Austria, and France. The wider masonic network offered Weishaupt a respectable vehicle by which he was able to propagate his clandestine doctrines.

What message does the triumph of these secret societies carry for the modern world? English historian Una Birch attempts to answer this question from the point of view of the early twentieth century. Writing just a hundred years after the event, her closeness in time, and sympathy for the Revolution, offer a unique perspective to the modern reader. Editor James Wasserman adds a contemporary perspective that takes into account the events of the twentieth century that occurred after Ms. Birch wrote. He has also added a guide to the history and personalities of the French Revolution to help clarify the text.

* Reveals the secret activities of the Bavarian Illuminati and the Freemasons in organizing the French Revolution

* Traces the influence of the mysterious Illuminati agent, the Comte de Saint Germain, as he traveled through the courts and cities of Europe

* Offers a unique perspective on the Revolution by an author who supported the Illuminati war against tyranny and superstition, yet does not shrink from examining the darker side of that event

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Una Birch (1876-1949, later Dame Una Pope-Hennessy) was the author of numerous books on history and literature. This new edition of Secret Societies has been enlarged, edited, and introduced by James Wasserman, author of several bestselling books on secret societies and spiritual development, including The Templars and the Assassins and An Illustrated History of the Knights Templar, as well as the controversial The Slaves Shall Serve. He is also responsible for the widely acclaimed restoration of the Papyrus of Ani, The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Nicolas Hays (January 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892541326
• ISBN-13: 978-0892541324
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #721,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unintended Consequences - From Illumanism to Collectivism, February 15, 2007

By 

Mark Stavish, The Institute for Hermetic Stud... (Wyoming, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret Societies: Illuminati, Freemasons, and the French Revolution (Paperback)

"Secret Societies - Illuminati, Freemasons and the French Revolution" by Una Birch, Edited, Enlarged and Introduced by James Wasserman (Ibis Press) Originally published as "Secret Societies and the French Revolution Together With Some Kindred Studies" (1911).

Freemasons have often been accused of supporting revolution, one world government, and other nefarious activities that would raise an eyebrow or two among the brethren. Yet few Masons really understand where these accusations come from, where they are rooted in historical reality, and what they mean to us today as both Masons and a free people. In "Secret Societies" Birch and Wasserman detail the connection between the French Revolution and its seeds of 'collectivism' and compare it to the 'other Masonic revolution' in America with its seeds of individualism.

"...the American Revolution was the celebration of individualism, the breaking forth of a free people from the shackles of foreign oppression. The facts of life and survival in the century and a half preceding the American Revolution built a hardy, self-reliant people who embraced a strong Protestant work ethic, an abiding community, religious faith that had a practical share in building the community...the American Experiment was designed to deal with human nature as it, rather than what it might be transformed into...Both the French Declaration [of the Rights of Man, 1789] and the UN Declaration [of Human Rights] advance the idea that the rights of the citizens are conditional - to be granted or withdrawn by the state in accordance with the needs of 'public order'. The US Bill of Rights, on the other hand, recognizes that the natural rights of humanity are derived from our Creator, are superior to the whims of state, and must be protected from the state. Thus the familiar language restricting the state, "Congress shall make no law...," and the protection against tyranny afforded the citizenry by the Second Amendment."

However, if you are not a historian fear not. "Secret Societies" is a fine read, and also a valuable resource in that Wasserman has taken to providing a complete index of persons appearing across the text, as well as added commentary to bring the modern reader up to speed on the events surrounding and following the French Revolution and what they mean to us today. He makes the book accessible and current. "Secret Societies" will be of particular interest to those who have also read Wasserman's book, "The Slaves Shall Serve: Meditations on Liberty".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A venerable classic, now in a more accessible form than ever before., April 7, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret Societies: Illuminati, Freemasons, and the French Revolution (Paperback)

Secret Societies: Illuminati, Freemasons and the French Revolution is a reprinting of historian Una Birch's classic treatise, originally published in 1911, with extensive annotations, an introduction, biographical sketches, and a history of the French Revolution by James Wasserman. The core of Secret Societies focuses upon links between the fierce violence and lasting societal changes wrought by the French Revolution and the roles that mysterious, clandestine organizations such as the Freemasons and the Illuminati may have played in the transformation. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, and so Secret Societies explores what lessons can be drawn from the Revolution and applied to modern times, as well as the question as to whether secret societies exert influence upon the world, and if so how much. A venerable classic, now in a more accessible form than ever before.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Book, October 20, 2011

By 

AmericaFearIsObedienceWakeUp - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Secret Societies: Illuminati, Freemasons, and the French Revolution (Paperback)

There are a lot of individuals surrounding the French Revolution, I found the best piece of the book was the glossary of people in that era to help keep dates, people, and involvement accurate as well help understand and remember the information.