Thomas Keightley was an Irish-born writer and scholar who live from 1789 to 1872. In this work, recently reprinted with a new introduction by James Wasserman, Keightley explores the foundations of modern secret societies such as Freemasonry and the Illuminati by looking at the early history of three very different secret societies: The Assassin of the Middle East, The Templars in Europe and The Secret Tribunals of Westphalia.

Keightely at time comes across as pompous, and the work can be hard going, but for those interested in the origins of the Knights Templar, or those who are seeking more clues in their search for the SanGraal, this book does provide some fascinating insights to a particularly turbulent period of medieval history.