Robert Langdon, while at the U.S. Capital Building, finds an object encoded with five symbols, which is an ancient invitation to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom. When Langdon's belived mentor, Peter Solomon, is kidnapped, he realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations - all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

Secrets of the Lost Symbol is an essential resource for Dan Brown fans who want to know the facts behind the fiction. From Abramelin the Mage to the Zohar, this encyclopedic unofficial companion guide to The Lost Symbol uncovers the forgotten histories of arcane traditions that have shaped—and still inhabit—our modern world. Discover the truth about Freemasonry—a major theme in Brown's best-selling novel—including its rituals, temples, and infamous members such as the legendary Albert Pike. Get the real story behind the Rosicrucians, the Temple of Solomon, and ancient occult rites.

What secrets lie at the heart of America? Discover the hidden reality behind Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol . . . and America itself. Just as there is only one Dan Brown, there is also only one secrets team that has achieved worldwide bestselling success by exposing the truth beneath Brown’s bestselling novels. Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijzer have gathered together world-class authorities—from scientist Richard Dawkins, noetics expert Lynne McTaggart, and religious scholar Karen Armstrong to journalist Jeff Sharlet (author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power), mathematician and science historian Amir Aczel, FBI consultant Michael Barkun, 33° Freemason Arturo de Hoyos, and a host of renowned philosophers, symbologists, code breakers, art historians, writers, thinkers, and experts on the occult—to give readers the essential tools to understand the conspiracies, codes, cutting-edge science, cultural controversies, and suppressed history at the center of The Lost Symbol . . . and the very founding of the United States of America. Which Founding Fathers were members of secret societies? What is the true background of the Ancient Mysteries? Does The Lost Symbol have a hidden religious agenda? What is the actual role of Freemasons in American history? What do the hidden codes embedded in the novel tell us?

Traces the footsteps of the fictional Robert Langdon to explore te symbolism, rituals, art, architecture and very real Washington D.C., locations.

#1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER • Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital, disoriented and with no recollection of the past thirty-six hours, including the origin of the macabre object hidden in his belongings. “One hell of a good read.... As close as a book can come to a summertime cinematic blockbuster.” —USA Today “A diverting thriller.” —Entertainment Weekly With a relentless female assassin trailing them through Florence, he and his resourceful doctor, Sienna Brooks, are forced to flee. Embarking on a harrowing journey, they must unravel a series of codes, which are the work of a brilliant scientist whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri's The Inferno. Dan Brown has raised the bar yet again, combining classical Italian art, history, and literature with cutting-edge science in this captivating thriller.

Rich in world history and political power, veiled in secrecy, and rife with rituals and arcane symbols -- from art and architecture to the images that adorn our currency -- the Freemasons arose from ambiguous origins centuries ago to play a major role in drafting the initial documents of the United States, and even in constructing the intricate landscape of Washington, D.C., itself a virtual mystery by design. These puzzles lay the foundation for Dan Brown's serpentine thriller, The Lost Symbol, and also raise provocative questions. Why do some Masonic symbols remain obscured, while others are hidden in plain sight? Which presidents were the embodiments of Masonic ideals? What is the significance of the construction of the Library of Congress, Washington National Cathedral, the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the physical layout of Washington, D.C.'s roadways and cul-de-sacs? And to what secretive end do they all lead? Now millions of curious fans can follow Robert Langdon step-by-step, and discover for themselves the answers to the absorbing conundrums posed by The Lost Symbol in this comprehensive, fully illustrated, and intricately detailed tour of the arcana of Washington, D.C. It takes readers through the enigmatic codes, captivating trivia, unfathomable riddles, intriguing records, historic maps, ciphers, and conspiracies of the phenomenal bestseller. What's more, it reveals the fascinating details of a world of unknown locales, mysticism, intrigue, and secret societies -- all of which lie in the shadow of The Lost Symbol.

Following on from the phenomenally successful The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, Dan Brown's next thriller, The Lost Symbol, is set to feature Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon once again, whose exploits will take him inside the secret societies of the Freemasons and Rosicrucians - replacing Opus Dei and the Illuminati of previous adventures. Decoding the Lost Symbol by bestselling author Simon Cox is an A to Z guide featuring illustrations and colour photographs to illuminate the text. It will provide all the answers to the cryptic mysteries in Dan Brown's highly anticipated new novel. Simon Cox is the author of two other guides to Dan Brown's novels, Cracking the Da Vinci Code and Illuminating Angels and Demons, and Decoding the Lost Symbol is hotly tipped to repeat their huge success. Cracking the Da Vinci Code has now been translated into over 15 languages and has sold over two million copies worldwide, while a spin-off DVD of the same name has sold one and a half million copies. No wonder, then, that Decoding the Lost Symbol is almost as eagerly awaited as Dan Brown's next novel itself. Simon Cox's guide will be the essential and most authoritative companion to The Lost Symbol, giving vital background information and shedding new light on the many mysteries at the heart of Dan Brown's new story.