Secrets of the Widow's Son: The Real History Behind the Lost Symbol

by Dan Burstein and David A. Shugarts

Book Overview

Secrets of the Widow's Son is an unprecedented publishing event: a book about a book that has yet to be published. As the world waits breathlessly for Dan Brown to publish his sequel to The Da Vinci... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402777299
• ISBN13: 9781402777295
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Sterling
• Length: 201 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.4" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Good read and thought provoking

I came to this book from the other Dan Brown "Secrets" books. Not being a history buff, like some of the other reviewers, I cannot attest to the accuracy of the material, and I cannot claim special knowledge of the period. But David Shugarts does a wonderful job of asking the tantalizing "what ifs" that take you down a historical whodunit path. I enjoyed the gossip and secret facts about our founding fathers and their world, including some real shockers (don't want to give it away). What adds to the mystery is that Dan Brown's book is not out yet - can't wait to see if David is on target!

Accept the Challenge

Anybody notice that all the negative "reviews" contain no information or comments pertaining to any specific content? Having in fact READ the book, I can say that if you accept the challenge and read Secrets of the Widow's Son, you will be fascinated by many parts of U.S. history that you didn't know existed. Did you know that George Washington was a Freemason (as were many of the Founding Fathers), or that a ceremonial Freemason's trowel that is still kept by one of the Washington-area lodges has been used as part of the cornerstone ceremonies for virtually every major Washington monument? Do you know the significance of the "all seeing eye" and the pyramid that appear on the dollar bill? Do you know that Paul Revere's famous ride might never have been completed if he hadn't been a Mason, and why? Do you know why the Masons were seen as a threat by the Catholic church, and why the church prohibited Catholics from joining? This book is billed as being a look at what Dan Brown might do in his next blockbuster. But Brown's book will be a work of fiction. This is a work of fact, and in this case truth is even more interesting than fiction. If you accept the challenge and read this book, you will indeed get an interesting analysis of what might be in the upcoming Brown book, and why, but you will also get a fascinating look at some parts of U.S. history (and America's capital) that your teachers definitely did NOT teach you.

Stimulation For the Brain

This Book Is Excellent. Overall it justifies the time spent because I had the oportunity to think about so many things. Contrary to some of these other "reviewers," I have actually been reading the book and I think it is excellent. You can tell that the author has done some serious research. He not only covers the obvious -- if you are a Dan Brown fan and know about The Solomon Key, then you know it will be set in Washington and relate to Freemasonry -- but the very un-obvious, such as the Kabbalah, Tarot and other symbolism, plus themes of the history of the Rosicrucians, Templars, and so on. It packs an awful lot of information into one place, and all of it is designed to give us a good guess about The Solomon Key, even though you don't always see the relevance at first. Plus, every so often, you come across a startling piece of info that you never read in a history book. It is hidden history, but you can Google it for yourself and see that it is true! This book also tells about the secret codes that were on all the Dan Brown books, but not all the readers noticed them. It also shows you various ways to think of buried treasure and even gives you a vague idea of where to dig. All in all, it's much more book than I thought I would be getting.

Fascinating, thought provoking, well written......

When Dan Brown confirmed that he is writing a sequel to The DaVinci Code, investigative journalist David Shugarts set out to discover the potential plot. Who is or was the widow's son and why is this a continuing thread throughout the book? The search for cryptic clues imbedded in Brown's first book lead to intriguing possibilities. Shugarts' book is intelligently written and never dry or boring. Even if Secrets of The Widow's Son were not a commentary on Dan Brown's writings it would be interesting to contemplate. Shugarts spans history and geography to deliver information we did not learn in school. Clues unearthed in his investigation reveal mysteries that have been hidden in plain sight since the founding of America. Our founding fathers played integral parts in these mysteries. Shugarts' presents clues originating in ancient times and continuing in America today. Washington DC, for example, houses secret crypts, symbols, and cyphers. Our nation's capitol is a hotbed of Egyption obelisks, Masonic symbols, and disguised references to Knights Templar, Jesuits, and the Illuminati. The appendices were as intriguing as the book so be sure to read them. Perhaps you'll find the "key" to Dan Brown's next book here. Even if you don't, and Brown surprises Shugarts and his fans, this book is well worth reading.