The History of Freemasonry: Its Legendary Origins [Hardcover]

Albert Mackey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2005

The fraternal order of Freemasons has been a mysterious organization since its origins centuries ago. Many historical figures such as Voltaire, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin were Freemasons and made the society all the more intriguing. This classic text illuminates the society's origins as well as the philosophical and ritual foundations on which it is built. Readers can explore the mythical tales about Freemasonry and learn how they relate to the historical truth. Included are excerpts from rare sacred documents along with explanations of their significance, plus black and white illustrations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Gramercy (June 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517149826
• ISBN-13: 978-0517149829
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,046,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Essential Research Book of Freemasonry, January 28, 2001

By 

Frater V "The Truth is Absolutely Not Absolut... (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The History of Freemasonry: Its Legendary Origins (Hardcover)

The History of Freemasonry is clouded with time, personal prejudice, suppression and many other factors. Yet, men like Mackey lay the paver-stones for the path of self-discovery amongst Masons. He gave many years of his life to this research and the book is well-worth every year he spent in dusty libraries, to produce this work. The beginnings of this book contain very archaic language, but the struggle is worth the time given to study. It seems that most books are a variation of this material, or refer to this material. Whether it is "the definitive history of Freemasonry," or not, is up to debate.... However, it is hard to appreciate NEW findings, without refering to books such as this one, to understand how much of the mass-market material is "accurate" or, at-least, Inspired-by well-documented research. I would expect to see this one on every Mason's bookshelf, but Anyone can appreciate the complex "History of Freemasonry."

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, December 9, 1998

By 

[e-mail] Brother John Nagy (PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The History of Freemasonry: Its Legendary Origins (Hardcover)

This book was a truly enchanting read. I thought that Brother Mackey's dissection of what is legend and what is fact was remarkable. You can tell by reading this book that a tremendous amount of research went into his works. Bro. Mackey takes the various manuscripts and theories that were written since the conception of the Craft and ingeniously and deliberately uncovers there true meanings. A true work of art for the Masonic Student...

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a history but a compilation of legends, December 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The History of Freemasonry: Its Legendary Origins (Hardcover)

It is true that this book delves into every single known legend concerning the origin of Freemasonry and concludes that each and every one is unprovable. It is also true that the author's style of writing is victorian and dated. The binding is also eye catching and makes the book look bizarre.

But, this book does have a useful value to those interested in Freemasonry. While it does say that no evidence can be found to support any of the legends of the origins of "The Craft", it does manage to list all the known legends and recount them in detail. Consequently, the book is useful as a compilation of legends, which were created by individuals at different places and times to suit different purposes.

"The History of Freemasonry" is a misnomer. It should be entitiled, "Legends of the Origins of Freemasonry."

As a compilation of all known legends, it is a reasonable reference. But, it certainly has nothing to do with the true origins of Freemasonry now accepted by scholars.