MANILA, Philippines – By now, Dan Brown is synonymous with with “The Da Vinci Code,” the controversial, unbelievably best-selling novel that posited a conspiracy meant to hide the alleged true descendants of Christ, a novel that was turned into an equally controversial movie by director Ron Howard.

The irony lies in that, for all the hoopla, “Da Vinci” is not even Brown’s best book. That distinction belongs to symbologist Robert Langdon’s first appearance, the superior prequel “Angels & Demons.”

That book’s investigation into the secretive Illuminati and a trail hidden in the heart of the Vatican City—a trail that reflects an age-old threat against the Church—makes “Angels” a gripping, intriguing read. All the other things going on—the murder of a scientist, the selection of a new Pope, the artifacts in the Vatican’s secret archive—make this a busy but diverting book, with audacity replacing the bombast of “Da Vinci.”

With Howard’s movie adaptation of “Angels” due on May 15, now is the time to revisit this fictional Vatican visitation.

And the best method would be to peruse “Angels & Demons: Special Illustrated Edition” (Atria Books, New York, 2005, 528 pages).

Between the maps and gorgeous photographs of the monuments necessary for unraveling the Illuminati conspiracy to destroy the Church, this “Angels Illustrated Edition” is a wonderfully visual guide to the so-called Path of Illumination, the same trail that Langdon and companion Vittoria Vetra chase down in the book and movie. Going to Rome and looking at the actual monuments would make for even more visceral and intellectual delight.

Though science, through the antimatter technology that becomes the fulcrum of the book’s threat, plays an important role in “Angels,” it is art and history that play a far more significant part, an aspect so wonderfully evident in this edition.

See for yourself what Langdon—and Brown—see when they talk about this symbol, that sculpture, or that building.

For those who have read the novel before, then this is the same story—but what a way to tell it. It’s the best way to read up before heading off to the cinema. For those who have never read the novel, then find out just how good Brown is as an author.

Brown’s next book, “The Lost Symbol,” is due out later this year, but this is Dan Brown’s masterpiece. Beyond that, “Angels & Demons: Special Illustrated Edition” is a gorgeous book, a testament to the beauty of ancient artistry, the power of man’s faith, and the glorious reach of the imagination, all in color, hardbound, and waiting on your bookshelf.

Available in hardcover from National Book Store.