secret societies: inside the freemasons, the yakuza, skull and bones, and the world's most notorious secret organizations  <p>does a sinister cabal actually control international affairs? were william shakespeare and abraham lincoln secretly involved with a group founded to discover and preserve the principles of alchemy? has an ancient mystical religion really been reduced to a length of red string that sells for a dollar an inch? secret societies surround us, yet they often remain a mystery. their secrecy suggests sacrilege and crime, and their loyalties stand accused of undermining the world's governments. they generate fear, suspicion, and - above all - fascination. </p> <p>from the parched wadis of the middle east to the crowded boutiques of beverly hills, award-winning author john lawrence reynolds peels away centuries of speculation and paranoia and shines a brilliant light on organizations that have been shrouded in secrecy for ages, from the templars and the mafia to the priory of sion and skull & bones. he offers a smart and surprising behind-the-scenes exploration of the tales - confirmed and fabricated - that surround the best-known and often least-understood secret societies.</p>