LIFE The Hidden World of Secret Societies

Nothing intrigues us like a secret. And nothing entertains us as much as a secret revealed. In this LIFE Book, the editors of such other classic volumes as The Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of All Time look energetically into the hidden recesses of the world's prominent -- and sometimes obscure -- secret societies. From Yale's Skull and Bones to the Catholic church's Opus Dei, there are many mysterious organizations worldwide about which we think know some things, but not all. Until now. LIFE opens the doors, and peers inside. Famous for its photography, LIFE publishes here pictures from behind closed doors. Accompanying these pictures, many of which were first taken exclusively for LIFE, is an authoritative text reflecting the quickened pulse of a good mystery; the writers of both Unsolved Mysteries and the bestselling The Most Notorious Crimes in American History are behind this book.