This book by the researcher of occult traditions Paul Arnold (1909-1992) is interesting with a new look at the history of the Rosicrucian movement and the origins of Freemasonry, as well as the role of I. V. Andreae. The author has studied and analyzed a huge layer of Rosicrucian literature, historical evidence, correspondence and other little-known and hard-to-reach sources. The conclusions reached by an independent historian differ from popular theories and from the official version of Masonic organizations that tend to mythologize their history.