Frequently, the text of heavily illustrated ‘coffee table’ books such as this is annoyingly superficial, but David Barrett writes succinctly on a wide range of esoteric groups without undue over-simplification. The prose is commendably lucid, and the book would be an ideal intro for a bright child, inoculating against the asinine absurdities of Da Vinci Code-type potboilers.
Barrett focuses on religious rather than political bodies. He kicks off with the mystery religions, such as Mithraism, Gnosticism, Manicheism, and Neoplatonism. We move on to the Knights Templar, the Assassins, Rosicrucians and Illuminati, describing their interconnections and analysing the pervasive legends accruing around them. Soon we’re into the Freemasons and their myriad offshoots, organisational complexities, eccentric rituals and Byzantine intrigues – Luciferian Masonry, Hell-fire clubs, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Society of the Inner Light, Argentium Astrum, and so on, many exuding an air of the faintly ridiculous.
Quite a few of the pictures are unfamiliar, such as portraits of Samuel Liddell ‘MacGregor’ Mathers and Moina Mathers. Rennes-le-Château and the Priory of Sion are usefully demythologised. Between sections on occult outfits are descriptions, plans and photos of associated buildings: the Pyramids of Giza, Karnak, Solomon’s Temple, the Templar castle of Almourol, Rosslyn Chapel, the Assassin castle of Masyaf, and others. Finally, we find a chapter on Eastern secret societies – Triads, Ninja, Yakuza, Thuggees, and the Shingong sect.
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