Freemasons: A History of the World's Most Powerful Secret Society

Title: Freemasons: A History of the World's Most Powerful Secret Society
Author: Jasper Ridley
ISBN: 9781559706018
Publisher: Arcade Publishing
Published: 2002
Binding: Hardcover
Language: English
Edition: 1
Number of Pages: 357
Condition Note: Excellent, unmarked copy with little wear and tight binding. We ship in recyclable American-made mailers. 100% money-back guarantee on all orders.
C: 1697889
Section: Social Science | Freemasonry & Secret Societies
Publisher Description: For many centuries, since their founding as a guild comprising the master builders of the great castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages, the freemasons have enjoyed a dual reputation: powerful -- often munificent -- rulers, politicians, and artists whose works have enhanced our world; and members of a dread secret society bent on evil. Here the eminent historian Jasper Ridley offers a thoughtful, rounded assessment of freemasonry throughout the ages, from its origins to the present day. Not a mason himself, Ridley nonetheless refutes many of the outrageous allegations made against the order and puts into proper perspective its many contributions to civilization over the centuries.