The Freemasons are often said to be the world’s most influential secret society and the story of this enigmatic fraternity is wrapped in mystery and intrigue. Their involvement in shaping political world events has stretched over centuries, even to the extent that Masonic principles lie beneath the establishment of the United States and its Constitution.

The Brotherhood is reckoned to be the privileged guardians of certain ancient secrets, but the Masonic Constitutions state that their secrets were lost over three centuries ago.

So who are the Freemasons and what is their history and purpose? Stories of the biblical King Solomon and his Jerusalem Temple reside at the heart of modern Freemasonry, but its beginnings stretch back even further in time. How are the secrets of the Ark of the Covenant and the Philosophers’ Stone related to the original Masonic tradition? What powerful role was entrusted to an elite lodge of Knights Templars that led them to become established as the Guardian Princes of the Royal Secret? What change occurred in the 17th century that caused the Brethren to burn their records for fear of explosive secrets being discovered?

In The Shadow of Solomon, Laurence Gardner’s answers to these questions present a fascinating historical detective trail that leads from the most ancient records of the Fraternity to modern times. Gardner’s in-depth research exposes the conflicts and intrigues that have guarded the real secret of Freemasonry for centuries… a secret which has potentially shattering implications for what we think we might know about history and cutting-edge science.

For Freemasons, Dan Brown readers, and others who might wonder what secrets lie behind the mysterious and influential fraternity, The Shadow of Solomon is the definitive insider’s account of the startling truth behind Masonic history – and the centuries-long search that the Brotherhood has undertaken to find its own lost secrets.

Laurence Gardner, a past Master Mason of the United Grand Lodge of England for 20 years, opens the door on the inner sanctum of the Masonic Temple. Here, he presents the culmination of years spent in archival research, with the result that the key Lost Secrets of Freemasonry, and the elusive Lost Word that will unlock those secrets, are revealed.

Published in August 2005 by HarperCollins (Thorsons Element imprint), ISBN: 0007207603, the UK hardback edition is available at: :

Amazon.co.uk

Published in May 2006 by HarperCollins (Thorsons Element imprint), ISBN: 0007207611, the UK paperback edition is available at:

North American hardback published in September 2005 by Barnes & Noble, ISBN: 0760775974, available at:

The Shadow of Solomon

North American softback published in March 2007 by Weiser Books, ISBN: 1578634040, available at:

All Site Contents © Laurence Gardner 2006