Rule by Secrecy: The Hidden History that Connects the Trilateral Commission, the Freemasons & the Great Pyramids

by Jim Marrs

What connects the Great Pyramids, Masons & the Council on Foreign Relations? Journalist Jim Marrs examines the world's most closely guarded secrets, tracing the history of clandestine societies & the power they've wielded--from the ancient mysteries to modern conspiracy theories. He gives evidence that the movers & shakers of the world collude covertly to start & stop wars, manipulate stock markets, maintain class distinctions & censor the news. Rule by Secrecy offers a worldview that may explain who we are, where we came from & where we're going.
A question of conspiracy; Rule by the few; A view from the few--
Modern secret societies. The Trilateral Commission; Council on Foreign Relations; Bilderbergers; Rockefellers; Morgans; Rothschilds; Secrets of money & the Federal Reserve System; Empire building; The Royal Institute of Internat'l Affairs: round tables; Rhodes & Ruskin; Skull & Bones; Tax-exempt foundations & alphabet agencies; It's news to us; Commentary
--The fingerprints of conspiracy. Report from Iron Mountain; Persian Gulf; Who pays the tab?; Vietnam; JFK opposed globalists; All the way with LBJ; Trading with the enemy; Korea; Rise of the Nazi cult; Theosophists, Thulists & other cultists; The Leader arrives; Hitler's support group; Hitler's fortune turns; Japan against the wall; WWII; Business as usual; WWI; A stimulus for war; The Russian Revolution; The rise of communism; Commentary
--Rebellion & revolution. War between the States; Secret society agitation; Preemptive strikes; The Anti-Masonic movement; The French Revolution; Jacobins & Jacobites; Sir Francis Bacon & the New Atlantis; The American Revolution; The Illuminati; Freemasonry; Count Saint-Germain & other magicians; Masonic plots; Freemasonry vs Christianity; Rosicrucians; Commentary
--Elder secret societies. Knights Templar; Assassins; Templar bankers & builders; Cathars; The Albigensian Crusade; The Templars' demise; The Priory of Sion; Merovingians; A far-reaching web; Commentary
--Ancient mysteries. The road to Rome; The Cabala; Ancient secrets & mysteries; Was there more to Moses?; All roads lead to Sumer; The Anunnaki; Floods & wars; Commentary

Genres: Conspiracy Theories, History, Nonfiction, Politics, Occult, Science, Religion

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Jim Marrs is an award-winning journalist and author. After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in journalism, Marrs worked for and owned several Texas newspapers before becoming an independent journalist/author. Marrs is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy, the basis for the Oliver Stone film JFK, and Rule by Secrecy.

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's get this out of the way, first. This book is Conspiracy Theory 101 from start to finish. It's also probably mostly bullshit. For that reason, it's hard to review or rate. Have you ever wondered "What secrets connect Egypt's Great Pyramids, the Freemasons, the Illuminati, and the Council on Foreign Relations?" Of course, you have. This question burns at the core of every sentient human being. I have to admit I'm torn between giving this book one star or five. As a thought exercise, it's fun as hell, and there's undoubtedly some spooky, unexplainable things covered in Rule by Secrecy. But let's put Jim Marrs into perspective here. His website and his own other writings reveal he's a firm believer in a plot involving the US government to stage the 9/11 terror attacks. Tell me something, someone, please. If our government was competent enough to fake something like that, why couldn't they fake finding a nuclear bomb in Iraq, or even a dirty bomb, or hell even a bunch of blow darts tipped with Ebola? Something to justify it? You know, a couple of covert CIA agents plant a nuclear bomb in a bunker, and all of a sudden the war seems justified and everyone calms down. It'd certainly go a long way toward promoting this terrible conspiracy Marrs sees everywhere. God, it would have been so easy to pull off, and a brilliant (if totally amoral) tactical move. Certainly it would have been easier to keep quiet than the full conspiracy Marrs believes has been hidden from us. Which brings me back to Rule by Secrecy. The same people, Marrs believes, that rule the world and planned 9/11, are connected through the CIA, Johnson (who killed Kennedy), the Council on Foreign Relations, a few elite banking institutions and universities, the bloodline of Jesus, Templars, Nazis, the Russian Revolution, the American Civil War, the Vatican and oh, aliens. Who built and / or inspired the building of the Pyramids in Egypt. By Freemasons. Or something. I could add Papa Smurf to the list and it wouldn't be any less surreal or plausible. It's all far, far too complex. Nothing like this could ever be kept secret. Surely, even the evil overlords of this plot would be too fucking confused by their own conspiracy to ever get around to ruling the world. And these organizations he implicates can barely pave roads or overthrow third-world governments without a subsequent Senate investigation. Nevermind that many of his arguments are based on documents that are long since proven to be hoaxes or lies. He strings together bits of actual fact with fanciful storytelling to make it sound like the Bush family sold gas directly to the Nazis to fulfill an alien agenda as ancient as Christ. Rule by Secrecy is fun, but maybe not entirely... sane. Conspiracy theories like this are terrifying but comforting. They let us pretend there's something more than human hate and incompetence running the world. It's a lot more comforting to think LBJ was cunning enough to get away with killing Kennedy than to know how terrified and confused Johnson really was at the time. It's more comforting to think there's a conspiracy than to think nobody in the entire world really has a handle on things. Rule by Secrecy would make a great movie, but I don't know that it flies as research or a provable thesis. I do wonder, though, if Marrs isn't a disinformation agent working for some shadowy intelligence service. This kind of stuff is great for getting people to look in all the wrong directions. (That's why the CIA invented Scientology!) Now that would be a great fucking story.

NC

[Erik Graff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed Marrs' Alien Agenda. On the topic of UFOs there isn't much to go on except the body of literature on the subject and he gave a nicely written overview of much of that. This book, however, a book which amounts to a history of human life on the planet from the creation (by aliens) of homo sapiens sapiens to the present, does present a counterpoint to various disciplines and specialized fields which I've actually studied. Here, comparing Marrs' work to that of researchers and students of the fields of history, theology, philosophy, biology etc., here Marrs fall far short of the materials he's attempting to handle.

I read a lot of weird stuff: books about UFOs, crytopzoology, parapsychology and alternative histories. Because of this I "get it" so far as the more historically remote sections of Rule by Secrecy go. I've read much of the stuff that Marrs picks up to generate his grand narrative. I could do the same thing, but I'd certainly not publish the result as nonfiction.

Of course there's a range between the certain, the credible and the incredible. On recent history Marrs often hits the nail on the head. Important decisions are often made with the intention of secrecy. We do live in a class-based society in which the economic extremes are growing more extreme. Global finance capital does in fact determine much about the perimeters within which we live. The media are manipulated in the interests those who own and finance them. On the more remote stuff, however, Marrs falls far short, his facile treatment of such matters as the biblical texts, Kabbalism, gnosticism, Platonic and Kantian philosophies and so on indicating that he's not very well read in these areas of study. Oh, he's read a book or two, often the older and more offbeat texts, but not the standard works that he's ostensibly up against. Yet, to his credit, he does cite his sources.

There may be some things to be gained for some in reading this book. His critique of modern capitalism ranges from the far right to the far left, showing aspects of a common analysis and critique of real problems. His arcane references may inspire further study of obscure, but often important, subjects.

[Cwn_annwn_13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marrs gets through a little over half of this book doing a great job of exposing the new world order, reminding me of a newer up to date version of None Dare Call it Conspiracy by Gary Allen. He exposes the CFR, Trilateral Commision, Bilderbergers, the Federal Reserve, and that all roads lead to oligarchal business and banking families like the Rothschilds and Rockefellers. Marrs also shows the role that was played by these people in fomenting, funding and profiting from both sides of almost all major wars going back to the days of Napoleon. He does drop the ball when he briefly discusses "Nazi Occultism" and uses idiots like Trevor Ravenscroft and Peter Lavenda as sources.

From there he shows the role played by Masonic secret socieities in the French revolution, what is known about the Bavarian Illuminati and a few other secret societies. After that he goes into Knights Templar/Merovingian Bloodline/Priory of Scion territory, which while that stuff is interesting and should be studied, its all just conjecture. Actually those topics have became a whole genre onto themselves in recent years. Besides that I've always thought that Priory of Scion lists that the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail got ahold of were either an out and out hoax perpetrated by the authors of Holy Blood Holy Grail, or put out as intentional disinformation by somebody trying to mislead them and the public.

After the Merovingian stuff Marrs gets way out there by going into Sitchen/Von Daniken territory. Here is where Marrs really loses me. Maybe I missed something but is he claiming that this is the hidden knowledge that the secret societies of the world elites hold? That the true origins of the human race are that we are hybridized creations of aliens from another planet?! Hey I'm not an atheist and I believe in a lot of stuff that the average person would consider pretty far out but this is just a bit much even for me. I'm familar with Marrs work and he's a very well researched, down to earth guy normally so it really surprised me that he included this in Rule by Secrecy. Especially considering I've heard him on radio shows several times making fun of David Ickes wacky reptilian theories.

But that aside I'd still recomend reading this book, if not buying it if you can get it for cheap because whats good in this is great. Just take a few things, especially the last chapter, with a few thousand grains of salt.

[Damon · Rating 5 out of 5]

If one tenth of the theories proposed in this book are true, the world I once knew is gone for good. Even if the other nine tenths are outright lies, they still make for some of the best stories I've ever heard. I recommend that every American at least read the section on the Federal Reserve. Then treat yourself to www.zeitgeistmovie.com. Sit back for two hours and prepare to have your awareness expanded. Go on. Try it. You deserve to know.

[Trekscribbler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beauty of any book written by Jim Marrs is that, even at a hardcover price, it's well worth the investment. Marrs manages to pack his books (ALIEN AGENDA and RULE BY SECRECY, especially) full of facts, figures, analogies, and explanations coinciding with the central theme of his works ... that being the world is not quite what you've been raised to think it is.
RULE BY SECRECY starts extraordinarily academic; the money trail that Marrs investigates does weigh down the first quarter of the book, almost so much so that it should've been excised. However, as the reader continues to explore the latter sections of RULE, he gains tremendous insight into why the facts were a necessary evil.

However, the reward in the last two sections, dealing largely with biblical histories and ancient mysteris of the planet Earth are incredibly insightful and well-documented for the serious researcher. Arguably, the last two sections of RULE should be required reading for any person considering himself a resident of the planet Earth ... after reading this, you might begin to think otherwise.

Wade through the first 1/4, and get to the real meat of the story. Keep the lights on, and enjoy the read!

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was brilliant, though very controversial it gives an insight to how blind we can all be sometimes. Think about it, we as humans realized that we could manipulate each other thousands of years ago hence marking the beginning of Secret Societies.

I know it's what you choose to believe, but for those of you who are curious, look up the facts.

I'm not going to spoil the book for anyone who hasn't read it, but ill give you an example of what the surface is all about.

So, we have a great Crime, possibly one of the greatest crimes ever, The Holocaust... BUT there is ALWAYS another side to an equal sign, so we have The Holocaust = Nazi Third Reich, right?

Now get this.... President John F. Kennedy = Lee Harvey Oswald ?

Doesnt make sense, such a great President that can never be over shadowed by just a man.

So really its, President John F. Kennedy = Conspiracy Assassination

Make sense?

Read the book.

[Steven Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost forgot this one. Thanks, Nathan!

This book takes the concept of conspiracy theory to an entirely different plane of existence. It starts in the present day, Council on Forein Relations, Bilderburgers, Trilateral Commission, etc. and goes back through time, all the way back to Mesopotamian culture and ideas of aliens.

I have to admit that I really had to process this one for a couple of days. It tripped me out a little bit, but it's an entertaining read and Jim Marrs is a likable author who doesn't hit you over the head with anything. No matter how seriously you take it, you will think about things from a different perspective.

[Isobel Blackthorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a gripping compelling read, the interrelationships of powerful families like the Rockefellers and Rothschilds fascinating. However, the further back in time Marrs takes the reader, the more I question the reliability of the information presented. Due care must be taken when citing secondary sources and my own area of expertise led me to refute two paragraphs in one chapter as superficial, speculative and misleading. I went on to cross reference Marr's presentation of Hitler and the occult, and found that he relied on at least one discredited secondary source, Ravenscroft. A more reliable text, available as a pdf is Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke's The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology (2004, Tauris Parke Paperbacks)
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke is a specialist on Nazi ideology
and was in 2004 Research Fellow in the Western Esoteric
Tradition, University of Wales, Lampeter.

Marr's book Rule by Secrecy is thought provoking. I would suggest that any matter raised not be taken as true without following up on the sources cited and consulting primary sources or works of proven scholarship. Yet the questions Marrs raises are vital and warrant consideration. The organisations described by Marrs exist and they do indeed attempt to influence, coerce and rule; these organisations do meet in secret, they are made up of the world's most wealthy and powerful, and they do appear to be adept at getting what they want.

A major reason the much maligned conspiracy theorists have any grounds for their concerns, is quite simply the secrecy with which these organisations conduct their business.

[Nima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nagyon fontos könyv.
Ha bárki is kíváncsi rá, hogyan működik a bankrendszer és a politika, vagy akár a törvényhozás, miért úgy működik, ahogy, kié is a hatalom valójában, az semmiképp ne hagyja ki, ha hozzájut valamilyen formában.
Nem kell félretenni se politikai hovatartozást, se vallásit, ez nem erről szól. Nincsenek oldalak, mert minden mögött ugyanazok az erők állnak. (lehet persze mindezt ostoba összeesküvéselméletnek titulálni, mindenkinek szíve joga, mit gondol a világról és az abban betöltött szerepekről.)
Aki viszont bármiben/bárkiben is bízni szeretne, az ne olvassa el, mert nem csak emberekből vagy eszmékből, médiából és tudományból fog kiábrándulni, de az életszemléletét az alapoktól kezdve kell majd újjáépítenie.
Tényeket hoz, idéz politikusok és bankárok szájából elhangzott mondatokat, visszaemlékezésekből, életrajzokból, törvényekre és újságcikkekre hivatkozik, eseményeket, embereket és következményeket hoz összefüggésbe. Nem fellengzős kitalációi és alapok nélküli következtetései vannak, hanem olyan lineáris és logikus gondolatmenete, egyszerű megfogalmazása, hogy az összefüggések azonnal nyilvánvalóak lesznek. Hatalmas tényanyagból dolgozik, és el sem tudom képzelni, mekkora mennyiségű az az anyag, ami nem kerülhetett bele a könyvbe vagy a terjedelme, vagy valami egyéb más ok miatt.
És igaz, hogy az 1800-es évek Amerikájára nyúlnak vissza a kezdetek, de ha mélyebbre hatolunk a nyúl barlangjába, meg fogjuk találni mindennek a bölcsőjét Európában, és ne gondoljuk, hogy manapság nem így történik minden.

[D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiler alert. According to Marrs, the Secret of Secrets at the very top of the conspiratorial pyramid is the knowledge that humankind is not alone in the universe and nonhuman intelligences most probably had a hand in our creation. The final boss is a cabal of Ickean Lizardmen. For readers who are curious to find out more than what Rule by Secrecy has to offer, Marrs shills his own books within the text.

[ALLA BASIM · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب غريب حقا ، كل ما أتركه أعود إليه مجددا ، فصل كل الجماعات السرية وجمع كل النظريات التآمرية عبر التاريخ في سياق واحد عجيب ، لغته سلسلة و ممتعة ، وأسلوبه مثير ، إذا كنت ممن يؤمنون بنظرية المؤامرة فهذا الكتاب جنتك ، وإن كنت من رافضيها فهنا تطرح عليك الإشكالات المنطقية عبر حركة التاريخ ، الكتاب ملئ بالمعلومات غزير بالتحليل محشو بالتاريخ ، مئات البيانات التي تحتاج إلى توثيق و تحليل ، ما أدهشني حقا نظريته الأخيرة عن ما قبل الحضارة السومرية رغم غرابتها الشديدة و خيالها الجامح إلا أنها متماسكة تماسكا غريبا !!! ، بغض النظر عن كل شي فالكتاب يفتح لك آفاقا مذهلة في عالم المؤمرات و المنظمات السرية الخفية !

[Azimah Othman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that made my train journeys home from work seemed so much shorter.

One of the first book I read of similar genre. Simply readable....couldn't put it down. Understand CFR, Builderbergers, Rockefellers, Morgans the Rothschilds better and many more. It also helped me to understand Kingdom of Heaven and The Da Vinci Code better.

Would recommend the book to those new to the subject of the conspiracy theory.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very good reference to secret societies. It was hard getting through parts of it. I really liked how it started from the Present day and went back into time to the start of hummanity. Very interesting book.

[Keifus Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good read, rest in peace Mr. Marrs, will miss your youtube shows and thanks for all the enlightenment.

[Didka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Доста интересни факти научих, а други просто се потвърдиха.

[Jeff O'Brien]

Can’t really rate this. Like other Marrs books I’ve read, it’s to me more like an encyclopedia than a book meant for reading cover to cover. I bought this book in 2008 and just finished it in 2018. As a reference tool it’s amazing. For leisure reading, it’s just not arranged right for me. Whatever your take may be, if you’re into conspiracies, this is a book that should be on your shelf.

[Matt McClard · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a chance I am crazy. There is a chance that everything in this book is complete nonsense and that these conspirators are doing what ever it is they are doing just to make me paranoid. However, then I guess there could be a chance that all of this crazy talk this is right. That there is a secret knowledge hidden from the masses that push the agenda of others. That these people who own us with our debt have chosen to for reasons unknown to us. I might never know, my guess is that none of us will ever know even a hair of the actual truth of any event. You might not believe what this book has to say, and that's ok, but the people who belong to these organizations (CFR, Bilderberg, Trilateral, Masons, Illuminati) they do. And it has powered their organizations for a long time. So be dismissive if you like, because the TRUTH is the same regardless.

[Adnan Dwedari · Rating 4 out of 5]

أسرار مهمة وخصوصاً آخر 100 صفحة

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

History of the type you may not learn in history books is prominent here. Fascinating, just fascinating. This book is packed with events, people, and ideas. To the author's credit, he forces readers to think, question, search, and expand the mind.

The journey begins now, in modern times, and that part will be eye-opening to most people. There are so many details and so much information, the book is at times hard to follow. Somewhere in the middle, the writing has a few difficult spots, but to me it was worth all the time it took to wade through the entire book carefully, slowly sometimes. It's not an oversized book -- it just requires oversized thinking.

Are people today spoon-fed what wealthy people of position want them to believe? You bet. Don't we know that? Is our media unbiased? No way. Does the average person allow themselves to be manipulated from birth to death without questioning? Absolutely. So what is the truth? Who are we? Where did we come from? Science can't prove we evolved from apes. Many don't believe in literal translations of religious texts. Do you? If so, maybe you need to dig a little deeper.

Is the history of mankind what we learned in school and read in books? Probably not. Do you even want to know that everything you think you know could be wrong? Do you believe that there are elite groups in the world that have a plan for world power and control? How much do you really know about religion -- yours or anyone else's and the history of your own religion? No, not the history they feed you, the real history.

What if you're not a religious person? Do you believe religion doesn't affect your life? Read on. What about modern politics? That's timely. How much do you know about what's behind politicians and generations of their political families, like the Bush's, for instance?

Consider that humans have always had special interests and done all they could to promote and protect those interests from ancient times. Makes sense, yes? How might that have affected the course of history and every person's life, even today?

Although there is much history here that can be verified, there's some conjecture based on ancient writings and pieced facts. All the more fascinating, because normally people don't think about much of what is in this book. However, it's in each person's best interest and that of future generations to understand historic connections that still run true today. Question everything! Don't be a pawn. If you can't expand your mind enough to take in that many things beyond what you know can happen, at least read this, however long it takes.

We're turning more into robots every day and pretty soon thinking and questioning will be bred out of us. The ability to act on our own will be gone. Take what you will from this book and grow your mind. Even if you only take in part of it, you'll have done yourself a favor.

Conspiracy? You judge.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm. I'm torn between giving this book 2 or 3 stars, because I didn't really enjoy reading it--at least, not until the end. Oddly enough, the part I thought I'd laugh most at (aliens running the world) was the most interesting section. I like that the book forces readers (those who want to finish it, at any rate) to keep an open mind. It's all too easy to forget that for ages we humans burned people for saying the Earth is round. It's tough to imagine we're THAT much better than our predecessors.

Things I liked about this book:
1) Theories explaining bizarre similarities across our world, mostly relating to a civilization predating and more powerful than our own. Who knows if it's true or how it affects things, but I've got no better answers. Plus it's fun to see Sumerian/D&D names like Tiamat. :P
2) The unspoken plea for readers not to take their surroundings for granted and to question what's out there, and why.

Things that I didn't like:
1) Laundry lists of names and organizations filling the first 3/5 of the book.
2) A bibliography that mostly references other conspiracy theorists. Maybe it's because the Man is keeping the Truth down--and this is an obvious drawback of any conspiracy theory, but we don't get a ton of correlation from the Establishment. I mean, only from apart from people who resign from the establishment, throwing up their hands in disgust.
3) The whole theory demands humanity, over thousands of years, didn't slip up and spill the beans, or was able to cover all leaks across many different societies for thousands of years. Are we talking about the same boobs who sue McDonald's because their coffee is too hot?

Still, it's fun to talk about the theories in this book, even if you don't believe them, and that's something. Hold on to your gold, people--it'll be worth something when the Annunaki come to your door! (If it's not already.)

[Thomas McBryde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book. You start out skeptical then dots start connecting, and by the end you are paranoid. By the time a reader is done with the third or fourth chapter you start to think that "they" really are out to get you and that "they" are everywhere.

Marrs does great job at explaining the history behind many secret societies that exist and illustrates how the people involved in these groups have climbed to the highest echelon's of power throughout history. Whether it was the enigmatic Rothschild family, the Freemasons, the Tri-lateral commission, or the Bohemian Grove group, Marrs unabashedly brings to light the secrets behind these groups. To call them a globalist cabal would be an understatement.

What is most distressing is if you consider that even if 10% of what he states is true, then the world is in serious peril and has been for quite sometime. While I am not one to look for conspiracies, after reading this book I am more open to the possibility. There is enough practical information that give credence to what Marrs is saying. The question then becomes...what can be done about this, if anything? Some of the groups he writes of have been around for hundreds of years, some right in front of faces without even trying to hide.

All I know is Marrs obviously believes what he is writing about...and after reading about all this I am inclined to believe a lot of it as well. The book is informative and interesting (albeit a bit frightening)and despite that it reads more like an encyclopedia at times I think anyone with an open mind will find the book interesting to read.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goes off the rails in final chapter.

[Kyle Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at secret societies, Jim Marrs' book has a few problems that keep it from being a good work. First of all is the order in which Marrs approaches his material. He does it in reverse chronological order, starting with current secret societies and then going back in time to the original ones. The problem with this is that at any given point in time that he is covering, he constantly refers to the older societies from which they sprang, but since he hasn't covered them yet, the reader doesn't have a knowledge of who he's referencing. Since the secret societies build upon each previous generation, it would have made more sense to start from the foundation and then show it's progression through the ages.

I know why he did it this way, and it is another thing keeping the book from being better. He wanted to suck everyone in and then end the book with his surprise ending, which is: ancient aliens populated the earth hundreds of thousands of years ago. Yeah, his big conspiracy is that we are all decedents of cro-magnon/alien hybrids. The ending of the book is so out there, and presented as fact, that I can't help but doubt how much of the rest of the book is accurate or believable. An interesting read with some good information, Marrs unfortunately mars his credibility at the end.

[David Nunez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific read for people who want to get an idea of who are the movers and the shakers of the planet! Jim really goes into lengthy detail of the influence that humanity has faced for generations. This book covers history as it has never been told before, or that we have never learned in school! This book gives an insight to who controls the planet from family bloodlines to organizations, governments and all religious institutions.

Jim's book shows how it is the elite that runs this planet and not the masses. It's amazing book to read which is an eye opener. It's people like Jim Marrs who help make this planet a better place! His writing brings light, an awareness to humanity. Jim's research and writing brings knowledge and discovery to the masses. And once we have this knowledge, it is our responsibility to have the best discernment that we can!

The best part of this book for me was towards the end of the book in the commentary (Page 409 in paperback). This ending commentary is the best writing I have ever read on hope. I personally hate hope. But Jim's ending commentary touched me, moved me emotionally, and made me feel that there is hope...for me, who feels hopeless in the world. No other writer, or person made me feel any hope the way Jim has.

I would highly recommend "Rule By Secrecy."

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Mr. Marrs. If I had read this when it was first published I would certainly have given it five stars. The fact that it covers a lot of material that I have already had exposure to diminishes its awesomeness for me. However, if you are new to the study of secret societies this is a fantastic, comprehensive introduction. I'm glad to own a copy as a definitive resource.

The book traces the heritage of secret societies through history from the earliest records in Sumerian cuneiform tablets through ancient religions to the bible and Knights Templar to the Illuminati, CFR, Trilateral Commission, Bilderbergs, etc. In his usual, impeccable journalistic style Mr. Marrs delivers the facts and lets them speak for themselves. There is a smattering of conjecture to make sure you aren't missing the boat but for the most part this is just good reporting. Something we don't get from our news anymore.

This book will make you say, "Hey, why isn't anyone talking about this stuff and why are we still letting these guys get away with this still?"

Please read this book and tell others about it. Then read his other books and those by Joseph P. Farrell. Then follow up on the topics that interest you. This book has nearly 40 pages of source references.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been interested in secret societies and the general unknown of our world. This book does a good job of tying together all of the societies throughout history. However, it reads very slowly in some areas due to the massive amount of background information and names of peoples/companies involved. I thought the most interesting part was the first part of the book which covers modern day wars and who stands to benefit from causing/supporting/financing them e.g. Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Morgans, etc. The final part is quite interesting but even a bit far out there for me. It involves a detailed history of the Sumerian culture including alien races that bred with the ancient Sumerians and were supposedly the basis for much of the Old Testament stories. Overall, if you have a very open mind and are interested in this kind of alternative view on history then I would recommend it.

[Cormac Zoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't add anything that the many other reviews don't cover as far as what the book presents etc. Suffice it to say that Jim Marrs is a great researcher and good writer and presents all the material in a logical and clear manner.

For those who think that behind any event, good or bad, stands one lone person perpetrating the act, don't read this and please don't review it. Go back to your corporate media outlets and pablum television shows and stop telling us how crazy we are to believe that people conspire to make major events occur and to maintain the status quo for the wealthy and powerful. We know you think it is just one person every time.

(didn't really take me this long to read it .. just didn't get back to this as i hardly ever do ... have a nice day :) )

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and sometimes disturbing read; Disturbing when you find yourself thinking, "hmmm...this seems possible..." and then you feel compelled to read more about it somewhere else. It could all be bullshit; it could be partially true, or maybe all of it is true. I'm sure there are conspiracies. Personal and political coups occur every day. America conspires. People in power often hurt those under them for personal gain. To think that the things in the book aren't possible, would be naive. But then again, believing everything you read is ALSO naive. Disinformation is alive and waiting to swallow you with it's toothy nice-guy grin; get close enough and you can smell it's foul breath. Give this book a whiff and see if you smell anything...

[Carter McLellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want a quick crash course of the global conspiracy? Who's involved, what has happened, what are the facts, and what are the theories? This is the book to begin your life long quest of information and knowledge. While it must be emphasized that being open minded and skeptical at the same time is very important when reading are researching anything no matter what it is. This book will store in that magnificent brain of yours key words to search for when researching this global conspiracy. Most of what is stated in this book is true while there may be a few minor errors, Jim will imply to you when he is presenting "theories" or speculation on specific subjects. Such as the Annunaki for one example. Great book and the other great part is, there's A LOT more books on all of these subjects.

[Shawn Fairweather · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I essentially took away from this read is that its simply work to point out coincidences or ironies that may or may not have merit or substance. By that I mean, the author throughout most of the book provides little to no investigation or revelations but merely and concisely pulls what "we" know together in this anthology. Marrs spends most of his time quoting other author without really contributing himself. Sorry to say however that when the most quoted author provided is David Icke, the eye brows and flags must be raised. It is still an interesting read and im happy to have it in my collection but for once id love a conspiracy writer to do more than simply regurgitate whats already out there.