Download or read book Secret Societies written by John Lawrence Reynolds and published by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2011-09-01 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world's most notorious secret societies, chronicling their origins, history, initiations, rituals, beliefs, activities, secret signs, members, and influence.

Download or read book A Secret Society History of the Civil War written by Mark A. Lause and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique history of the Civil War considers the impact of nineteenth-century American secret societies on the path to as well as the course of the war. Beginning with the European secret societies that laid the groundwork for Freemasonry in the United States, Mark A. Lause analyzes how the Old World's traditions influenced various underground groups and movements in America, particularly George Lippard's Brotherhood of the Union, an American attempt to replicate the political secret societies that influenced the European revolutions of 1848. Lause traces the Brotherhood's various manifestations, the most conspicuous being the Knights of the Golden Circle (out of which developed the Ku Klux Klan), and the Confederate secret groups through which John Wilkes Booth and others attempted to undermine the Union. Lause profiles the key leaders of these organizations, with special focus on George Lippard, Hugh Forbes, and George Washington Lafayette Bickley. Antebellum secret societies ranged politically from those with progressive or even revolutionary agendas to those that pursued conservative or oppressive goals. This book shows how, in the years leading up to the Civil War, these clandestine organizations exacerbated existing sectional tensions in the United States. Lause's research indicates that the pervasive influence of secret societies may have played a part in key events such as the Freesoil movement, the beginning of the Republican party, John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, Lincoln's election, and the Southern secession process of 1860-1861. This exceptional study encompasses both white and African American secret society involvement, revealing the black fraternal experience in antebellum America as well as the clandestine operations that provided assistance to escaped slaves via the Underground Railroad. Unraveling these pervasive and extensive networks of power and influence, A Secret Society History of the Civil War demonstrates that antebellum secret societies played a greater role in affecting Civil War-era politics than has been previously acknowledged.

Download or read book The Secret Societies Handbook written by Michael Bradley and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders written by Alan Axelrod and published by Checkmark Books. This book was released on 1997 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Debunking the spurious reputations of some, detailing the authenticity of others, The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders contains over 800 A-to-Z entries describing the names, natures, and purposes of secret societies throughout history and around the world. An extensive introduction gives readers a solid overview of the evolution of secret societies from their ancient roots, typologies of secret societies - how and why they specialized, why schisms and splinter groups are almost inevitable, how brotherhoods often formed around one charismatic personality, and why memberships are now declining. Further, The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders has a comprehensive bibliography, an index, and includes the addresses of secret societies in existence today.

Download or read book Secret Societies written by Michael Howard and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-12-05 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An overview of how esoteric brotherhoods have shaped history • Examines the secret chronology and clandestine causes of seminal world events • Shows how secret societies feed into one another, and how they have worked together For thousands of years secret societies--guardians of ancient esoteric wisdom--have exercised a strong and often crucial influence on the destiny of nations. Though largely ignored by orthodox historians, the Freemasons, Knights Templar, and Rosicrucians affected the course of the French and American Revolutions as well as the overthrow of the medieval feudal order. Inevitably, the true ideals and esoteric practices of these societies have, at times, been perverted by self-serving individuals. The Nazis and the Bolsheviks, British security forces, the founding fathers of America, and the Vatican have all justified their actions--for good or for ill--by claiming the mystic ideals of secret societies. Michael Howard explores these connections, tracing their effects in politics and statecraft from the time of ancient Egypt up to the present. He sheds light on the influence of secret societies on governments and in the lives of many well-known figures, including Frederick the Great, John Dee, Francis Bacon, Benjamin Franklin, Comte de Cagliostro, Helena Blavatsky, Rasputin, and Woodrow Wilson. He contends that the recent formation of the European Union was directed by an umbrella group of secret societies and reveals that though secret societies have been persecuted throughout history, they have survived and continue to operate powerfully in world affairs today.

Download or read book The Study of a Secret Society written by Stephanie I. M. Steinmetz and published by Universal-Publishers. This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This project began as an investigation into the high rate of suicide among members of the Coast Guard in comparison to other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. The course of research revealed Coast Guard officials' chronic reluctance to disclose information about suicide. Therefore, the new focus of research became a comparative investigation of the Coast Guard's resistance to discussing suicide within the organization. The study was conducted through interviews with a sample of Coast Guard and other military members as well as through discussion boards on the Internet. Questions centered on military life experience, stress, depression and suicide. The data suggest that members of the Coast Guard 1) initially appeared excited to participate in the study, however, when asked to discuss or disclose suicide-related information about the Coast Guard, they displayed marked signs of reluctance about their participation; 2) Coast Guard members emphasized the idea of the Coast Guard being a family; 3) Coast Guard members presented as the most conversational when compared with the other military branches; 4) the Coast Guard has a humanitarian mission as opposed to the other four combat-oriented services; 5) Coast Guard's image and perception among members of the Armed Forces is unique and somewhat set apart from the other, larger and more combat-oriented services; 6) the Coast Guard is perceived to be the toughest service to get promoted in, and it is seen as the most competitive when compared to all other military branches; 7) there is a differential suicide rate between the Coast Guard and the other military branches during both war and peace times. The findings are analyzed using Toennies' concept of Gemeinschaft versus Gesellschaft, Horney's theory of neurosis, Argyris' theory of organizational defensive routines, as well as Menninger's theory of suicide."

Download or read book Secret Societies written by David V. Barrett and published by Blandford Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For most people, belonging to a special, limited group has an irresistible appeal. Uncover the secrets of clandestine societies throughout history, from the ancient Mediterranean civilizations to such familiar associations as the Mafia and the Ku Klux Klan. Dozens of circles come under scrutiny in this revealing study: the Zoroastrians, who may have created the first significant monotheistic religion; the Rosicrucians, a brotherhood that condemned astrology, and other "occult" arts; and the Freemasons, who refuse to divulge their rituals. Precisely because of their closed nature, suspicion greeted these organizations. An examination of witch hunts vividly demonstrates tragic results of public prejudice and fear, while the Chinese Triads and Nazi occult societies reveal the dar more dangerous side of secret groups.

Download or read book A History Of Secret Societies written by Arkon Daraul and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book The Secret Societies Bible written by Joel Levy and published by Godsfield Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fascinating book is an essential illustrated reference guide to secret societies and cults from every culture and time. From the Freemasons to the Knights Templar and from Rosicrucians to Chinese Triads, this in-depth handbook explains the history, beliefs and secret rituals of some of the most powerful covert organizations ever to have existed. In The Secret Societies Bible you will find: The truth about the Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion, made famous by The Da Vinci Code. A fully-illustrated guide to key rituals, meeting places and individuals. Includes major societies such as the Freemasons and the Knights Templar.Written by an expert author and featuring a code-breaker checklist of secret signs and symbols to help you identify different societies, this book reveals the mysteries behind the world's most elusive organizations.

Download or read book The Power of Ritual in Prehistory written by Brian Hayden and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-09-13 with total page 411 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Secret societies in tribal societies turn out to be key to understanding the origins of social inequalities and state religions.

Download or read book The Sociology of Secret Societies written by Lau-Fong Mak and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1981 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Secret Societies of All Ages and Countries written by Charles William Heckethorn and published by . This book was released on 1875 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Secret Societies written by Jonathan Blanchard and published by . This book was released on 1845 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sermon against secret societies, including those with good intentions such as temperance societies: "The object of this discourse, is to show, from the example of Christ, and by argument, that christians ought not to join secret societies"--P. 6.

Download or read book Secret Societies of America s Elite written by Steven Sora and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2003-02-24 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An expose of the dark and critical role secret societies play within the ruling families in America and their influence on American democracy, current events, and world history. • Reveals the enormous influence secret societies still have on contemporary American life. • Shows how the secret Masonic cells that smuggled in the democratic ideals inspiring the American Revolution also enabled the future elite of the new society to build huge fortunes. Elite and secret societies have always been a major force in the history of Western civilization. The alliances formed in secret societies such as the Knights Templar, the Knights of Christ, and the Freemasons transcended patriotism and religious beliefs and had a powerful influence on the establishment of the United States of America. While these secret associations of merchants, smugglers, occultists, gamblers, spies, and slavers succeeded in freeing the United States from foreign domination, the dark side is that the elite used their secret connections to further their own wealth and power. These secret cells did not hesitate to sponsor the assassination of a president and even attempted to break up the union on several occasions when it was deemed expedient. From the Sons of Liberty and the Essex Junto to the Ku Klux Klan, secret societies have played critical roles in building the fortunes of America's elite. Now Steven Sora reveals in alarming detail how secretive societies continue to wield power even today as organizations such as Yale's Skull & Bones unite America's modern ruling families as strongly as Masonic Lodges once connected the Astors, Livingstons, and Roosevelts. Their immense power and wealth allow this elite to control America to an even greater degree than the Templars once dominated Europe.

Download or read book The Dialectics of Secret Society Power in States written by Stanton K. Tefft and published by Humanities Press International. This book was released on 1992 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Dialectics of Secret Society Power in States explores a fascinating problem neglected by social science for many years, the political role of secret societies in state systems. Through a comparative study of secret society activity in five states, this book provides a penetrating analysis of the dynamics of state-secret society power relations. The five states and corresponding secret societies presented in this study are: Liberia (Poro and Sande), Ottoman Turks (Bektashi), Ching China ( White Lotus), Malaysia (Triad), and South Africa (Broederbond)." "Unique to this book is the portrayal of secret societies as organizations responsive to the conflicts generated by structural contradictions within state systems and the larger social systems of which states are integral units. Unlike earlier studies of secret orders that provide largely descriptive accounts of secret organizations and their rituals, The Dialectics of Secret Society Power in States clearly identifies the nature of the conflicts in which secret societies are involved and shows how this involvement impacts on the secret order and its power relations with the state." "This study also presents an integrated theoretical assessment of secret societies as both products of, as well as forces for, sociopolitical change. It will be of particular interest to political anthropologists and political sociologists, as well as those studying social and revolutionary movements in Asia and Africa."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Download or read book Secret Societies and Subversive Movements written by Nesta Helen Webster and published by . This book was released on 1924 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Secret Societies written by Nick Harding and published by Chartwell Books. This book was released on 2006-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Secret Societies in one form or another have existed throughout the history of human culture. But what is their appeal? What is it that makes so-called respectable people indulge in peculiar ceremonies, dressed in fanciful costumes uttering bloodcurdling oaths of loyalty with the threat of death hanging over them should they reveal the inner workings of the cult? Nick Harding investigates these societies and their vagaries in a full and frank examination. Book jacket.