num_pages: 376
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 up 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.
language: English
title: The Freemasons: A History of the World's Most Powerful Secret Society
titlecomplete: The Freemasons: A History of the World's Most Powerful Secret Society
genres: Historical, History, Philosophy, Religion, American History, Politics, Cultural, World History, Occult, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 823
publisher: Arcade Publishing