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The Freemasons: An Illustrated Book of An Ancient Brotherhood

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Modern Freemasonry was established in London in 1717, but the origins of Freemasonry date back thousands of years to pre-biblical times. In "The Freemasons: The Illustrated Book of an Ancient Brotherhood" Michael Johnstone traces possible links in the beginning between Freemasonry and the building of King Solomon's Temple, with the great philosopher Pythagoras, the Collegia, with the Ancient Mysteries, the Druids, and with the Knights Templar.

Reviewing the great buildings of Europe, such as Notre Dame Cathedral, the cathedral at Chartres, London's Westminster Hall, and King's College at Cambridge (all of which are illustrated in photo or drawing), the foundation of the Masonic Lodges is explained as places where Master Masons could give instruction to junior craftsmen and apprentices. This training could not be given where it could be seen or heard by non-lodge members, and so the lodge came to be regarded as a protected place and in time assumed a sacred character.

Following the founding of the English Grand Lodge in 1717, lodges were quickly formed in throughout Europe and by the 1730s Masonic Lodges had been founded in Holland, Austria, Prussia, Italy, Spain and Sweden. We also see Masonic Lodges formed in the new American Colonies, beginning with St. John's Lodge in Philadelphia, where Benjamin Franklin was initiated in 1731.

Beyond Benjamin Franklin, several other famous men are identified in "The Freemasons", including:
>> Edwin `Buzz' Aldrin - Astronaut
>> Sir Joseph Banks - President of the British Royal Society
>> Edmund Burke - one of England's foremost political thinkers
>> Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - creator of Sherlock Holmes
>> Robert Burns - Scotland's National Poet
>> and... many other great and famous men.

Throughout "The Freemasons" we read of Masonic involvement in the "Boston Tea Party", the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the building of the Nations Capital, and the design of the Great Seal of these United States of America.

"The Freemasons" table of contents includes:
>> Introduction
>> In The Beginning
>> Built For The Glory of God
>> Emergence
>> Around The World
>> Crossing The Atlantic
>> Rites and Rituals
>> Ideals and Virtues
>> Famous Freemasons
>> Woman in Freemasonry
>> Glossary
>> Index

Lavishly illustrated, Michael Johnstone's "The Freemasons", is a worthy addition to any Freemason's library, it being a well-written, easy-to-read, history of this Ancient Craft.

This book, lavishly populated with some grand illustrations, gives the reader a good historical perspective on an ancient brotherhood (and more recently quasi-sisterhood). It serves as a repository and historical overview of freemasonry around the world, its possible origins and written history since the early 18th century.

Without going into too much detail, the book offers an overview of some of freemasonry's more famous members in Europe and in North and South America respectively.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in a general working knowledge of the Craft, although there are a couple of historical citations that may or may not be completely accurate.

If you do much reading of history,historical novels or novels about fraternaties ,you will come across all kinds of organizations such as: Freemasons,Knights Templar,Shriners,Illuminati,Lodges,Secret Societies,Secret Oaths,and on and on.In addition, you will see symbols in many locations including monuments,churches,even the symbol on the American dollar bill.You probably know or were told that these were symbols of the Masons.These symbols all have meanings and if you want to get some idea what and why they appear in so many places,this book will give you a good overview.
The term Freemasons is an unberella term which takes in many secret societies all around the world and covers many different forms.
The Freemasons which we talk about today were formed in London in 1717,but takes its roots way back in ancient history.The roots are varied and differ amongst cultures and countries.The organizations have been continually changing especially since the time of the Crusades and persecution of every form since.
To a large degree, it started with the masons who worked the stone to construct the structures and buildings in ancient history but down through the centuries has become an organization based on three pillars,Wisdom Strength and Beauty.However with a statement like that I grossly oversimply.
After reading this book,I have a much greater idea of it all,but when one gets down to detail it is extremely varied depending where you are talking about and when you are talking about.I believe the author has done a supurb of giving an overview and that is not a simple thing to do with such a complicated,varied and yes, these secret societies that have been around for thousands of years.So,if you want an overview ,you'll find this a great book.If you are looking for great detail,I am sure you can find hundreds,if not thousands of books to satisfy your curiosity.
"The influence of Freemasonary in the founding of the United States can also be seen on the back of a dollar bill.One of the first decisions made after the Declaration of Independence was to commission a Grand Seal.The design that was eventually chosen contains within it several Masonic symbols.The Great Seal iyself is incorporated into the design of the dollar bill."
Much of the money for the Statute of Liberty was raised in France and in America by Freemasons.When the cornerstone was laid the Grand Master of New York ,a Mason, asked the assembled dignataries
why Freemasons had become so involved.A few moments after he posed the question,he answered it himself:"It's because no other organization has ever done more to promote Liberty and to liberate men from their chains of ignorance and tryanny than Freemasonary"."One hundred years later,and restoration was needed,every Grand Lodge in the United States contributed,and by the time the appeal closed they had raised two million dollars,one of the most substantial charitable donations ever to be made by non-governmen bodies".
A great,interesting and informative read.

This book is not meant to be extensive in its coverage nor deep in its scope. However, it is a nice coffee table book about Freemasonry that could grace any table of any Mason. It is certainly lavishly illustrated.

This is an excellent book that details the history of Freemasonry. My father and grandfather were Freemasons, but I did not have the opportunity to discuss with them the subject of the history of Freemasonry. After I became a Mason I began reading books on this subject and there are many. Johnstone's "The Freemasons: An Illustrated Book of an Ancient Brotherhood" is an excellent and well-written book. The history of Freemasonry is intriguing. Although the Grand Lodge of England was founded in 1717 most historians agree that Freemasonry, as it exists today, originated from the stonemason guilds of the middle ages. These stonemasons were elite skilled laborers, who built castles, cathedrals, and other structures. Some of the symbols of Freemasonry are from that era. Some historians believe the roots of Freemasonry are in Bavaria. There are a number of theories on this.

Freemasonry spread throughout Europe to the American colonies. A number of our founding fathers, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, were Freemasons. It is fascinating to read how Masons were involved in everything from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the laying of cornerstones of some of the most famous buildings in Washington D.C. It has been said that a fraternity can be judged by its members and this too is addressed in Johnstone's book. Among notable Freemasons are 14 United States Presidents, four of who were from Ohio. The information in this book will help any reader better understand the history of Freemasonry and appreciate how Masons helped build this country.

Very Nice Book with great illustrations... Any Mason would love to have this book...

Seller should state that the book does not macth his picture. Some people will want the Blue book as shown in the sellers description... I received a Reddish orange copy but it doesnt really matter to me, but will to some

This is one of the better Freemason hardcovers out there intended for the general public. The tone is generally supportive of Masonic principles, and while some of the more mythological aspects of the Freemasons are mentioned (such as the Knights Templar connection), this book does a good job of avoiding the giddy "National Treasure"-style speculation that blemishes other books. The level of detail in this book is clearly aimed toward the novice who's heard about Masonry and would like to learn a little bit more, and it's quite easy and clear to read without being condescending.

The real strength of this book are the multiple full-page photos and illustrations. While many of them are only tangentially connected to Masonry, nearly all will be of interest to an armchair history buff. I especially enjoyed the vintage illustrations of Masonic rituals, but there are some beautiful photos of Washington DC that reminded me of a vacation I spent there.

Another book filled with information, but I received a red covered book instead of the blue cover I wanted...