OVER THE YEARS, while researching my novels The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, I fell in love with the history, art, and architecture of Europe’s great cities. In many ways, it was my fondness for those locales that prompted me to set my follow-up novel, The Lost Symbol, in Washington, D.C.—a city as rich in art, architecture, and mystery as its European counterparts. Writing The Lost Symbol was an opportunity for me to delve deep into the hidden depths of Washington, and to explore the city in ways most people never imagine it.
It is my hope that this Special Illustrated Edition provides a uniquely enjoyable reading experience that is as visually captivating as it is enlightening.
DAN BROWN
July 2010