The Freemasons: A History of the World’s Most Powerful Secret Society
Jasper RidleyOverview
“The Freemasons are a subject of endless fascination. To the layman, they are a mysterious brotherhood of profound if uncertain influence, a secret society purported, in some popular histories, to have its roots in the fabled order of the Knights Templar or in the mysteries of the Egyptian pyramids. They evoke fears of world domination by a select few who enjoy privileged access to wealth and the levers of power. The secrecy of their rites suggests the taint of sacrilege, and their hidden loyalties are sometimes accused of undermining the workings of justice and the integrity of nations.” In this reassessment, Jasper Ridley offers a substantial work of history that sifts the truth from the myth as it traces Freemasonry from its origins to the present day. Ridley recounts the development of Freemasonry from the guilds of freestone masons, the master builders of the Middle Ages, into societies of “gentleman masons” and “speculative masons”
| status | Lost |
|---|---|
| genre | History » World and Other Histories |
| publisher | Arcade Publishing |
| publish date | 2001 |
| popularity | checked out 0 time(s) |