[.ca] The Freemasons: A History of the World's Most Powerful ... (ISBN 1559706546)

From Amazon.com:
Many books about the Freemasons are hysterical polemics based on ludicrous conspiracy theories. British historian Jasper Ridley offers a welcome antidote to these half-witted tomes with The Freemasons, a sober-minded account of a secret society that has survived for centuries. Most important, Ridley provides the one thing missing from many discussions of the masons: facts. For instance, after noting the "well-established legend in the United States that the Freemasons made the American Revolution," Ridley shows that "of the 55 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, only nine were certainly masons." (Prominent members of the founding generation who were not masons include Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton.) This shows that masons have played a meaningful role in history, though not the domineering one their critics have alleged. Even though Ridley (who is not a mason) defends the masons against the overblown charges made against them, he doesn't quite buy the explanation that "they are no different from a golf club. ...Members of golf clubs do not take oaths not to reveal the secrets of the club." For a level- headed account of how a medieval guild of stone masons developed over time into an offbeat social organization with a powerful membership, Ridley's book is tough to beat. --John Miller

No rituals, just the Craft's history.:
I would use the term fair and balanced to describe this book but I am afraid that Fox News would take me to court. So, I will just have to say that this book is a very objective look at both the Freemasons and their critics. Where the Freemasons have made a claim that is not supported by fact or is just plain wrong, the author points out the mistake. On the other hand, he also points out the weakness of most Anti-Masonic arguments, calling some of them ridicules. When the Anti's have a fair point though, it is clearly acknowledged. Jasper Ridley traces Freemasonry from where he thinks it began, to the present day and also looks at Masonry in most countries of the world. He points out that Masonic Lodges in some countries have been the centers for radical revolutionary movements. Masons often deny this but Masonic opposition to reactionary and oppressive monarchs, dictators, and popes has helped inspire many revolutionary leaders from Simon Bolivar to Giuseppe Garibaldi to George Washington. This is for the most part the reason that the Catholic Church has historically been opposed to Freemasonry. However, Ridley correctly points out that while many revolutionary leaders were Freemasons so to were many Royals. For example, Washington fought to free the American colonies from George III whose brother was the Grand Master of English Masons. In fact, as Ridley points out, during conflicts Freemasons were often the leaders of both sides. It was indeed the Freemason Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna who ordered the slaughter of the defenders of the Alamo, Freemasons included. The head of the Texas army, Sam Houston was also a Mason. Jasper's argument here is that the Masonic oaths mean little at such times. To make a long story short, Ridley gives praise where it is due and does the same with criticism. The Masons come in for harsh treatment over the Morgan affair in New York, as do the Anti-Masons with their contention that Masons had something to do with the Jack the Ripper murders. If you are a Freemason like I am, or if you Anti-Masonic some of your sacred cows will likely be gored by this book. If you are neither of the above you will still enjoy this well written book as it touches on most major events in modern western history. The only fault I can find is that some of Ridley's history is in error. For example, John Quincy Adams was not the Whig Presidential nominee in 1824. Nor were W.H. Crawford and Henry Clay Independent candidates. Andrew Jackson was also not the Democratic nominee. There was no Whig party in 1824 and all four candidates were Democrats since that was basically the only party in existence. Its picky I know, but if he gets some of these historical facts wrong; what else might he be wrong about?

Maybe so, maybe not:
I purchased this book for its catchy title, "a history of the secret society". Instead of a history of the secret society, I got a history of the American Revolutuion, the French Revolution, and several other revolutionary movements worldwide. Being told that some revolutionaries, politicans, artists, and intellectuals were Freemasons and that some were not, just as some were corrupt and some were not, gave me no insight into the organization itself. I felt as though the author was playing a game of "maybe so, maybe not...guess if you can". What little information I derived from this book was contradictary, such as the requirements of 'believing in one God' and 'not discussing politics', yet athiests were admitted and both right-wing and left-wing groups with strong political views controlled the lodges. I would recommend reading a book that discusses the society itself more so than one that discusses the people involved, or in this case-- 'not involved'.

Interesting but rather repetitive:
Although the book does offer many interesting facts about some prominent freemasons throughout the years, it does get rather repetitive. Basically the middle chapters cover revolution after revolution and what key figures in the revolution were Freemasons. You will quite often find paragraphs structured as: Person 1 did this. Person 2 did this. Person 3 did this. Persons 1, 2, and 3 were all Freemasons. Or Persons 1 and 2 were Freemasons while person 3 was not. However if you can get through all the revolutions and trying to keep track of all the Dukes, Kings, Countes and Queens you will come out with some interesting facts about major historical figures (both good and bad) who were masons.

Debunking Conspiracy Theories:
This book is a combination of the history of the Freemasons and the debunking of myths. The Freemasons organization has been accused of many things throughout the world, such as assassinations and revolutions, but Ridley scrutinizes these accusations and explains that most of this is coincidental or that the myth-writer has a different agenda. The history of the Freemasons covers the beginnings in the British Isles and the creation of lodges in Europe, Asia, and South and North America. He explains how the membership of the lodges has changed through time as well as how the lodge has changed its organization. He does not seek to expose any secrets, but points out that the organization is similar to many others, but prefers to keep it rituals and initiations to itself. This secrecy, according to Ridley, is the main reason why there are so many conspiracy theories concerning the Freemasons. An example of the theories is that Jack the Ripper was a Freemason, and another is that the Freemasons started the American Revolution. He points out that although some of the American founding fathers were Freemasons, many of them were not. He also points out that less democratic governments tend to fear the lodge and will present any manner of propaganda to suppress it. This is a good book to read to learn a bit more about the organization. Also, if you are a conspiracy theorist, I would recommend reading this for balance.

At Last, a Sensible Book About the Masons:
There's a lot of published work dealing with the Freemasons, either as a specific subject, or touching on them when writing about some esoteric, "New Age" issue, or conspiracy theory. Many of them depict the Masons as bad, dangerous or just plain nutty. Ridley's study effectively stands alone, being objective and unbiased---the more so, because he admits he's not a mason himself, and demonstrates why he's not convinced by the questionable scholarship of some contemporary books that depict them as evil and corrupt. Anyone interested in a balanced overview of the masonic movement ought to read this book.