It was interesting to read the final parts of that just as the trial against Anders Behring Breivik started, with all his claims about Knights Templar and secret terror groups etc. He seems to play on precisely the same keys as a number of those discussed in the book.

It isn't a book about the True Teachings of secret societies, but traces the development of the mythology about them in society at large. It does go into the facts about them, however. And traces lines of influence from Freemasons, Illuminati etc (the historical ones, not the Scary ones from conspiracy theories) through Carbonari and other political secret societies. And discusses why they stopped being so important &c.

Very interesting book. I'll write a proper review when I have time.