Mondays Book Talk - Secret Societies

Written by Ben Kesp

A Brief History of Secret Societies by David V. Barrett 

This is a book that can only be described as informative and certainly one that I believe everyone should read, removing the many myths associated with secret societies of the world. Starting from the dawn of ancient civilisation, the book objectively explores the hidden history of esoteric religious beliefs as the human race continuously seeks out knowledge and understanding of the world. 

Dr. David Barrett, British sociologist of religion has amassed numerous works over his career. He contributes regularly for The Independent, Fortean Times and the Catholic Herald. Before he turned to writing, he was an intelligence analyst for the UK Government Communications Headquarters and in the United States government’s National Security Agency. 

Have you ever wondered and questioned the existence of such secret groups like the Knights Templar, Rosicrucians, Cathars, Freemasons, Golden Dawn and KKK? Barrett explores the origins of these groups, the symbols and the reasoning behind why certain people join such organisations. He explains in detail the various degrees of learning and ascension into the higher hierarchy of the groups, values, rules, customs and dress. He does all this in a simple and believable manner. 

Journeying back to the beginnings of our civilisation to the Egyptians, Greeks and Zoroastrians, Barrett explains where the esoteric beliefs originate. Following the rise and need for such groups to exist, with many claiming to have their origins dating back millennia, something which he debunks, we travel the evolutionary road with many of secret groups only having their beginnings in the 19th and 20th centuries. 

This book is excellently researched, amassing a huge collection of facts and hypotheses, connecting the esoteric movements to the history of the Western culture, particularly focussing on the Freemasons where a large amount of the book dwells on. 

Having enjoyed this book, the only negative point to add is with the amounts of facts provided and the detailed exploration of societies, it can lead to heavy reading with so much information to digest. However as stated in the beginning, if your curiosity to learn more about the secret groups exists, wanting to know where they originated from, what happens behind closed doors, the beliefs and customs, this book will give an objective detailed view and debunk many of the myths you have heard and probably believed in.