"Secret societies have flourished throughout history, capturing the public imagination and generating fear, suspicion and above all fascination. Reynolds treats the reader to a behind-the-scenes look at the origins, initiations, secret signs and famous members of the most notorious secret societies of all time. Included are chapters on the Cosa Nostra, Al Qaeda, the Triads, the Assassins, the Yakuza, Kabbalah, the Freemasons and the Druids.