Mark Booth, also known as Jonathan Black, is author of the best selling book
The Secret History of the World , The Secret History of Dante and now, The Sacred History.
Praise for The Secret History of the World:
"After reading The Secret History of the World I was seeing meaning in everything... only connect Black insists, as he slots Osiris, Siddhartha, Pallas Athene, the Templars, Dr Dee, Tolstoy, Freemasons, Jung, Lenin, C.S. Lewis, Philip K Dick and Lewis Carroll into his looking glass world... weirdly plausible... excellent."
Christina Hardyment, The Times
"Beethoven acknowledged the visionary qualities of his music, saying those who understand it are freed from the miseries which others drag around with them. There is something about the huge perspectives of this book that creates the exhilaration Beethoven was talking about."
Colin Wilson, The Daily Mail
"I can say without exaggeration that this is the best and most accessible treatment of the western esoteric tradition I have read in decades...a scholarly and imaginative masterpiece."
Ronald M Mazur, Professor of French and German, Winona State University
"A totally engrossing book, an esoteric journey from the beginning of time to the present day, based on the beliefs and writings of the secret societies. I love it."
Patricia Scanlon, Book of the Year, Mail on Sunday
"Jonathan Black's new book The Secret History of the World contains much to members of the Craft. Black's knowledge is encyclopaedic yet his scholarship is so lightly worn and his narrative style is so well crafted the book is a sheer delight to read. If you only want to read one book about the ideas that have inspired generations of outstanding people from Plato via Isaac Newton to Brother George Washington then this is the book."
Robert Lomas, The Square
"A light touch on dark secrets...written in an accessible, engaging way, this book offers a new perspective on global historical events."
Michelle Stanistreet, Sunday Express
"Light the candles and draw the thick velvet curtains, take a deep draught of purple wine and lift Jonathan Black's The Secret History of the World on to the brass eagle-shaped lectern. I was much impressed by this richly textured and magisterial omnium gatherum about the secret societies."
Roger Lewis, Spectator
"The great discussions of the mind are told vividly with the passionate human characterizations that make them possible. His style is lucid and entertaining and it has totally gripped me even after a third reading."
Anne Perry, Books of the Year, Glasgow Herald
"In open defiance of the prevailing materialism of our time, this book springs unashamedly from what its author calls a mind-before-matter view of the world. A vast cosmic vista thereby opens up before us, whereby much of the received wisdom of the age is turned on its head..every page rejoices in the power of thought itself ....engaging, well-written and bubbling with interesting insights."
Richard Bunzl, New View
"The startling revelations that form the core of this book show the world as deeply strange and mysterious, filled with secrets and codes, with humanity at the heart of a cosmic riddle. Nothing of this scale and ambition has been attempted since Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine, and Black arises to the challenge with style, originality and aplomb. Deep, clever, deceptively simple and important, it is indeed an initiatory document."
Graham Hancock, author of Fingerprints of the Gods and Supernatural
"I recognize in this deeply spiritual book the world that I experience. The author has done important work with and on behalf of the angels, showing how they and other spiritual beings work in the world. It truly is an angelic history."
Lorna Byrne, author of Angels in My Hair, A message of Hope From the Angels and Where Love Comes From
Praise for The Sacred History:
"The Sacred History reveals the world from which today’s astrology emerged - one where the planets’ power wasn’t merely calculated but felt. It tells the tales of the great spiritual beings we know today as planets and constellations, an influence we experience not only in events but also in our inner lives. It's an ancient way of looking at the world that’s central to my life, writing and work, and a perspective that provides profound insights for each of us."
Shelley von Strunckel, internationally renowned speaker and writer, columnist for The Sunday Times, Vogue and The Evening Standard
"The Sacred History is unlike any book I have ever read about spirituality. It recounts a history of the Cosmos by re-telling folk tales, legends and religious stories from around the world in an utterly original way, giving just enough to convey each story evocatively. It challenged my beliefs from the very beginning and has renewed my faith in fundamentally spiritual nature of reality."
Philip Carr-Gomm Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids
"A new bible for the New Age, weaving mystical traditions from East and West, astrology, alchemy and angels into one amazing, life-enhancing story."
Gyles Brandreth
"Mark Booth has written a masterpiece. From the moment I began reading this book, I knew Booth had accomplished a remarkable feat of repositioning ancient knowledge in such a way that we see truth through yet another lens. I absolutely loved this book."
Caroline Myss, Author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Sacred Contracts
Praise for The Secret History of Dante:
"Unlike any biography you’re likely to read elsewhere ... Jonathan Black, who sprang to literary prominence with his Secret History of the World, is far more interested in Dante’s spiritual activities and esoteric interests than the mundane details of his life ... a well-written, painstakingly researched analysis from a perspective all too often ignored by conventional historians. Intelligent, comprehensive and readable to the point of fascination."
J.H. Brennan, author of Faierie Wars and Whisperers: The Secret History of the Spirit World.
"I feel compelled to visit Florence now! Whether you are student of philosophy, art history, literature or theology, enjoy thinking about the evolution of consciousness, or just love a mystery, The Secret History of Dante is a fascinating read. Jonathan Black writes with a clarity that is remarkable considering the deep knowledge he imparts about Dante's life and times, his challenges, his loves and losses. He ties together the people, the place, the politics, the secret knowledge, religion and the culture underlying Dante's Inferno, making it come alive to us, whether it is understood purely on an historical level or on the esoteric level which reveals the human journey both spiritually and psychologically. I also loved his Secret History of the World and I hope Jonathan Black writes more of these short, individual histories."
Pamela Young, Author of Hope Street