Secret Societies from Magicians to Masons

Before you is the history of the «behind-the-scenes powers» and «unofficial rulers» of humanity — from ancient magicians and druids, Kabbalists and Albigensians, assassins and carbonari to Freemasons and other secret societies that aimed to restructure the world....

The work of the British historian Charles Hekertorn in the 19th century became a sensation of an entire century. The author not only created a detailed catalog of the «secret powers» over several millennia of our civilization but also described in detail the goals, tasks, and structure of religious, military, judicial, scientific, and political secret societies — down to the mysteries and rituals of initiation. Hekertorn's astonishing knowledge amazed his contemporaries, and his book influenced many historians and writers of the 20th-21st centuries — including Dan Brown with his «The Da Vinci Code» and «Angels and Demons». In Russia, Charles Hekertorn's book was published in the late 19th century. After the revolution, it was banned.

The book is illustrated with ancient engravings and works of global painting.