This is the perfect guide for anyone who wants to delve a little deeper into the mysteries of, and answers behind, Freemasonry. As the reaction to his previous work suggests, there will be some controversy over the accuracy of Dan Brown's facts regarding Freemasonry in his new novel, and his interpretation of those facts. How much of this new novel is 'true'? How much is speculation? What is the Mason-Mormon connection? Were Masons involved in the American Revolution and, if so, in what way? Does America have a secret history? The reader will come away from Peter Levenda's thorough and engagingly written book with many of the answers to these questions, questions that were raised not in a school or college History class, but by a bestselling novel. Freemasonry is a large subject and Levenda's study provides a history of the Society, highlighting important events and including some of its more controversial and newsworthy aspects (such as the Propaganda Due lodge in Italy that was involved in the Roberto Calvi/Vatican banking scandal, and the involvement of Joseph Smith, Jr in Freemasonry). Given that Brown's protagonist finds himself on American soil and embroiled in events that have to due with the founding of the United States capitol, Levenda's book takes the same approach and - while giving the necessary background of Freemasonry - points its readers to the Masonic elements to be found in Washington.

Author Biography

Peter Levenda has been involved with every aspect of trade with China since 1984. He is also the author of Unholy Alliance: A History of Nazi Involvement with the Occult, which has appeared in six foreign-language editions.