The Freemasons - Jasper Ridley

To the layman, the Freemasons are a mysterious brotherhood. Who are they and why are they such a contradiction?
In this book Jasper Ridley attempts to separate myth from truth. He follows the development of Freemasonry from the working masons of the Middle Ages to the 'gentlemen masons' of the 18th century; examines the part played by the Freemasons in the American Revolution of 1776 and the creation of the United States; the significance of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute and the responsibility of the Freemasons for the French Revolution; examines the persecution of the Freemasons by Hitler; the difficulties which the Freemasons have encountered in Japan and in other parts of the world and their 250-year war with the Catholic Church; the effect of their secrecy and their ceremonies on their public image; and their attitude towards women. He compares British Freemasonry with the revolutionary left-wing Freemasons of France, Italy and Latin America. Finally, he examines the position of the Freemasons in British society today and whether they will be able to adapt to the 21st century.