What Is Their Secret And What Are They Hiding? Step inside the secret world of the Masons and discover:
How such pivotal American documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights reflect Masonic principles and influence.
How Freemasons became the world's oldest and largest fraternal organization.
If Freemasons rule the world--or want to.
Why Masonic symbolism appears on American currency.
Why the opposition groups, from conspiracists to the Catholic Church, fear Freemasons.
Why Texas has been called "the Masonic Republic."
How to recognize Masonic rings, pins, and other symbols.
From George Washington to Dan Brown's
The Da Vinci Code, the Freemasons have influenced the United States in many surprising ways. With nearly half the world's six million Freemasons--some twenty-five U.S. presidents and thirty-five Supreme Court justices among them--America has felt the group's impact more deeply and broadly than any other country.
Using historical anecdotes and incisive analysis, this timely and insightful portrait separates the myths surrounding Freemasonry from the facts, offering a unique insider's view into what American Freemasonry was, is, and will be tomorrow.
H. Paul Jeffers has published more than 50 works of fiction and nonfiction, including
Freemasons: Inside the World's Oldest Secret Society, biographies of presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Grover Cleveland, New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, Diamond Jim Brady, and others. He lives in Manhattan.
INSIDE THE WORLD'S OLDEST SECRET SOCIETY
Freemasons have been accused of everything from conducting clandestine satanic rituals to masterminding a worldwide conspiracy for planetary domination. The order's members-which have included Sir Isaac Newton, John Wayne, Bill Gates, some of America's most popular entertainers, and 25 U.S. presidents-insist they merely share a bond of brotherhood, service, and charity. It's the oldest and largest fraternal organization in the world and even figures prominently in such modern bestsellers as The Da Vinci Code, yet Freemasonry is still terribly and consistently misunderstood.
In Freemasons, H. Paul Jeffers delves into Masonic history to reveal the surprising and controversial truths behind this ancient and secretive order, from its mystery-shrouded origins in medieval Europe through its rise in America, where Benjamin Franklin founded the first lodge. Today, some four to five million Freemasons worldwide pledge to live their lives in accordance with principles of morality, charity, and loyalty-both to fellow Masons and to the order itself. But what exactly does Freemasonry entail, and what happens behind the lodges' closed doors?
