The Element encyclopedia of secret societies and hidden history : the ultimate A-Z of ancient mysteries, lost civilizations and forgotten wisdom

Next in the popular Element Encyclopedia series, comes the complete A'¬"Z of alternative history. Discover everything you ever wanted to know about secret societies like the Freemasons, the historical mystery of Atlantis, why King Arthur, Leonardo da Vinci and Hitler are key figures, plus conspiracy theories, forgotten sciences and ancient wisdom. A complete and informative A'¬"Z for one of the most popular genres to have emerged in recent times '¬" the hidden history of the last 10,000 years. This encyclopedia answers all your questions on the more controversial subjects being debated: '¬¢ Conspiracies and secret societies, e.g. Knights Templars, the Rosicrucians, the Freemasons, the Bavarian Illuminati, the Hellfire Club, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Priory of Sion. It also includes secret traditions, hidden bloodlines, extraterrestrial intervention, imminent apocalypse, and the Mayan calendar prophecies. '¬¢ Ancient wisdom and forgotten sciences, e.g. alchemy, prophecy, sacred geometry, ley lines, and magic, as well as supporting evidence for advanced technologies in ancient times e.g. the mysteries of Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids. '¬¢ Unsolved historical mysteries, e.g. the location of Atlantis, the early history of Christianity, the Holy Grail, the fate of the Knights Templars, the authorship of Shakespeare's plays, the causes of the French Revolution, and the occult roots of Nazism. '¬¢ Key figures in hidden history '¬" Pythagoras, Jesus of Nazareth, Leonardo da Vinci, King Arthur, Roger Bacon, John Dee, Alessandro Cagliostro, the Comte de St.-Germain, Benjamin Franklin, and Adolf Hitler. Reference Behind the ordinary history of the world lies a second, hidden story - of secret societies, lost civilizations, sinister conspiracies, and mysterious events. Alternative visions of history have been around for nearly fifty years and popular culture has rapidly fed into this growing obsession. But how secret are these secret societies and what traces do the murky events of hidden history leave behind? Here you'll find the facts, arguments, important figures, and theories surrounding key questions being asked by many today: do secret societies actually control the world and, if so, what do they plan to do with it? What were the real origins of Christianity, the Freemasons, or the French Revolution? What is the significance of King Arthur, Leonardo da Vinci and Adlof Hitler to the world's secret societies? Part of the 'Element Encyclopedia' series, this is an A-Z of alternative history. It helps you discover everything you wanted to know about secret societies like the Freemasons, the historical mystery of Atlantis, why King Arthur, Leonardo da Vinci and Hitler are key figures, plus conspiracy theories, forgotten sciences, and ancient wisdom. This volume is an A-Z of alternative history. It helps you discover everything you wanted to know about secret societies like the Freemasons, the historical mystery of Atlantis, why King Arthur, Leonardo da Vinci and Hitler are key figures, plus conspiracy theories, forgotten sciences, and ancient wisdom.