I think that there are very few here that would disagree with me when i say
that Masonic Light is the most knowledgeable on this board about Masonic subjects. If not the hes in the top 2. If he misses this thread you might
try a
U2U to him.
For a historical book on the subject then you probably want to read Albert Pike's "Morals and Dogma of Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite
Freemasonry" for a good synopsis of the cult, its ideals and ultimate objectives.
Often women are recommended to read Blavatsky's works like "Isis Unveiled" and "The Secret Doctrine" but I found them to be a bit scattered
really, lots of art with no substance from a modern perspective although at the turn of the 20th centuary the idea of Aryan supermen and lost
civilizations high in the Himilayas would have been believable to the general public...
I can give you a free electronic copy of "The Book Of Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Freemasonry" by Charles T McClenechan (1884) which details the
actual rituals and I found to be an invaluable aid to reading Pike Morals and Dogma.
There are quite a lot of anti-Masonic books available which are factual although I'm sure there are many people in this forum who will be happy to
jump up and down to defend their cult.
don't listen to anyone with an axe to grind, including me. I will send you a number of sites and a link to Morals and dogma which you can read on
line.
Try www.americanfreemasons.org this will link you to every grandlodge in
the U.S. Most of the sites will give a history of masonry and much more. I am a Freemason.
The favorite genre for books about Freemasonry is the sensationalist expose replete with blood oaths and political conspiracies in abundance. They
were popular in the late 80s through mid 90s especially, and some of them tend to be source material for some of the wonderful anti-Masonic posters
that arise from time to time to provide entertainment for ATS members.
Stephen Knight is an author working at an elementary level of readership to provide this kind of sensationalistic stuff. There are others - for
entertainment only.
Potted history of sensationalistic writer on Freemasonry, dead from brain tumor in 1985, stimulated enough sales to encourage publishing of a number
of emulators and other sensationalistic writers.
Still good entertainment value in the genre, no matter what Akilles says to diminish his status as an entertainer.