The Secret Societies Handbook

Elite secret clubs have always influenced society. In The Secret Societies Handbook, Michael Bradley examines the hidden story behind our economic and political hierarchy. He traces the roots of 21 secret groups that have shaped the history of the last two thousand years and reveals shocking new evidence concerning the true extent of their global power today. When the word cult is used, the response is usually the same: dangerous, subversive, anti-family, anti-social. And while this is certainly true, the most daunting discovery in this book is that the most powerful secret societies are actually running the world, seeking to destroy morality and the family unit while publicly appearing to be their biggest champions. Their ultimate weapons are power and time. They have the power; only time will bring their obscure scheme to its inevitable conclusion. Bold, uncompromising, and totally absorbing, The Secret Societies Handbook offers a challenging re-examination of world events and the hidden power structures that conspire to engineer them and determine our future.

Elite secret clubs have always influenced society. First they build power, then they bend others to help them, knowingly or in ignorance, to consolidate and expand their power base. Then they destroy society. Some of them already control the world. When the word "cult" is used, the response is usually the same: dangerous, subversive, anti-family, anti-social. And while this is certainly true, the most daunting discovery in this book is tha the most powerful secret societies are actually running the world, seeking to destroy "morality" and the family unit while publicly appearing to be their biggest champions. Their ultimate weapons are power and time. They have the power; only time will bring their obscure scheme to its inevitable conclusion. This book examines 21 of these elusive and deeply disturbing organizations and reveals in alarming detail how, for five centuries, they have successfully manipulated the global economy, waged wars, and controlled the balance of power to bring about a New World Order.

Study of the history, tenets and rituals of over fifty organizations including Knights of Columbus, Freemasons, Ku Klux Klan, Cosa Nostra, etc.

Almost every social system throughout history has produced its secret societies. Here is a unique study of such societies from earliest recorded times to the present, along with an analysis of their forms, rituals, and beliefs. The author has traveled extensively to gather documentation. The Charcoal Burners of Italy, the Castrators of Russia, the Old Man of the Mountains, and the Gnostics are but a few of the many described.

They generate fear, suspicion, and—above all—fascination. Secret societies thrive among us, yet they remain shrouded in mystery. Their secrecy suggests, to many, sacrilege or crime, and their loyalties are often accused of undermining governments and tipping the scales of justice. The Freemasons, for example, hold more seats of power in the U.S. government than any other organization. No fewer than sixteen presidents have declared their Masonic affiliation, and there may have been more. Secret societies have infiltrated pop culture as well. Celebrity members of Kabbalah include Madonna, Demi Moore, and Elizabeth Taylor, among others. From the Mafia and the Yakuza to the Priory of Sion, Skull and Bones and the Templars, Reynolds offers an illuminating and entertaining exploration of the stories—confirmed and fabricated—that surround these societies, as well as provides detailed information on their origins, initiations, rituals, and secret signs. Dispelling myths and providing gripping revelations—such as a direct historical link between the Assassins of the Middle Ages and today’s Al Qaeda—Secret Societies gives us a smart, surprising look at the best known and often least understood covert organizations.

Reynolds takes readers on a behind-the-scenes tour of the world's most notorious secret societies, including their origins and histories, initiations and rituals, secret signals, and members.