The Secret History of the World

By: Mark Booth

Narrated by: John Lee

They say that history is written by the victors. But what if history - or what we have come to know as history - has all along been written by the wrong people? What if everything we've been told is only part of the story? What if it's the wrong part?

In this groundbreaking new work, Mark Booth embarks on an enthralling intellectual tour of our world's secret histories. Starting from a dangerous premise - that everything we've been taught about our world's past is corrupted, and that the stories put forward by the various cults and mystery schools throughout history are true - Booth produces nothing short of an alternate history of the past 3,000 years.

History is more than a list of things that have happened; it's a measure of consciousness and experience. And in The Secret History of the World, Booth's take on history is relentless, charging through time and space and thought in interdisciplinary fashion. Embracing cognitive science, religion, psychology, historiography, and philosophy, he draws a new timeline, and a huge swath of our cultural heritage that has long been hidden is restored. From Greek and Egyptian mythology to Jewish folklore, from Christian cults to Freemasons, from Charlemagne to Don Quixote, from George Washington to Hitler - Booth shows without a doubt that history as we know it needs a revolutionary rethink, and he has 3,000 years of hidden wisdom to back it up.

©2008 Mark Booth (P)2008 Tantor

History told as a struggle between Idealism & Materialism

Did mind come before matter or matter before mind? The author suggests a secret history running through esoteric traditions and secret societies which has influenced some of the worlds greatest thinkers. These thinkers, he asserts, have adopted the philosophy of Idealism, famously set forth by Plato, in which the world is mental or comprised of consciousness.

The work is a heroic attempt to synthesize thousands of years of permutations of such a philosophy up to the present day and to do so in such a way that is easily digestible to a modern reader. This attempt requires the author at moments to paint with a broad strokes pointing readers in directions for their own, later research.

An interesting read for those interested in examining modern materialism, esoteric Christianity, kabbalistic thought, truths hidden in plain sight in our myths & architecture and how materialism has influenced the origins aims of secret societies.

Excellent

Lots of information from an original viewpoint.
Listened to it several times.
I wish I could hear more from this author on any of the many threads that this book leads to.

Mark booth, shut up and take my money!!!!!!!

Truly the must amazing 12 to 14 hours of life. I want more books mark so get off you’re but buy some more weed and other mind altering substances. I want to join in on this great adventure
Qqqq

Western Esoteric crash course via Anthroposophy

A very thorough account of important views within the Western Esoteric tradition. It covers a wide variety of esoteric subjects that will be useful and necessary to any occultist hoping to practice within that tradition. There are only a few things preventing me from giving it 5 stars, the first being that it makes a lot of claims about historical personages without giving a reference or citation to support the validity of those claims, and second that the author is giving an account from a distinctly Anthroposophical point of view, that is to say he is clearly a devotee of Rudolf Steiner and thus presents material from his school of thought. There's nothing wrong with that, as I too share most of his ideals, but to present his ideas as representative of all of the Western Esoteric tradition while focusing on distinctly Anthroposophical ideas isn't entirely honest. Overall, a fantastic book though.

Intriguing!

Tracing the narrative of humanity from our prehistoric days through the modern era, this audiobook provides a thoroughly unique perspective on the unfolding of human history and the significance of our transformative figures. Recommended for those interested in looking in the mirror of existence through a different lens.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY.

Most Eye Opening

most enjoyable most eye-opening really helps explain the history of the world in ways that always made me question before. and open my eyes to different possibilities for the history of the world and of religions.

We were once Vegetable People

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It was a bit long.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The idea that the immaterial world might be more real than the material world. How many of the people who we might think of as being entirely practical used eccentric methods to spark their creative thinking.

What three words best describe John Lee’s voice?

Dry, British and sleep-inducing.

Did The Secret History of the World inspire you to do anything?

The story made me want to meditate; the narrator made me want to take a nap.

Any additional comments?

Find a synonym for esoteric so it doesn't get used so often in the reading of this book.

Interesting great narrator

Not my first narration by John Lee and won’t be my last. The book itself is exactly what I was looking for, the blend the various perspectives together in a way that makes since spirituality, logically, and otherwise. I have long thought ancient stories are more than lessons. Based on the history classes and books I have read. I believe this esoteric view of history. There is a first time for every thought. And, just like new inventions today, those then, changed human life. This is the first time I have found someone that ties all religions together into a coherent positive message and purpose. Imo this book is the convergence of ideas. Highly recommend to anyone.

It was okay, but not what I expected

I was expecting it to be more like seperate case files discussing different secret organizations, and instead it was a rambling and non-chronological explaination of how secret societies interpreted the Bible, for the most part. It jumps around a lot, making it hard to follow, especially because it was not what I was expecting at all. It brings up some interesting points, but overall it was easier to ingore than to pay attention to.

Great Information and delivery

I enjoyed this book because it linked many ideas together into a sensible whole. Much like the Kybalion. Made me realize how important it is to actively practice the esoteric arts ( meditation, pranayama, qigong , yoga, anything if you do it with the right intention). Reading and learning are great. Knowing and feeling are great, too!