Books like The Secrets of the Freemasons by Pat Morgan

"The Freemasons are a subject of endless fascination. To the layman, they are a mysterious brotherhood of profound if uncertain influence, a secret society purported, in some popular histories, to have its roots in the fabled order of the Knights Templar or in the mysteries of the Egyptian pyramids. They evoke fears of world domination by a select few who enjoy privileged access to wealth and the levers of power. The secrecy of their rites suggests the taint of sacrilege, and their hidden loyalties are sometimes accused of undermining the workings of justice and the integrity of nations.". "In this reassessment, Jasper Ridley offers a substantial work of history that sifts the truth from the myth as it traces Freemasonry from its origins to the present day. Ridley recounts the development of Freemasonry from the guilds of freestone masons, the master builders of the Middle Ages, into societies of "gentleman masons" and "speculative masons" in the seventeenth century, culminating in the formation of the Grand Lodge in London in 1717. Delineating the spread of the brotherhood to Europe, the New World, and the East, he weighs the role Freemasonry is supposed to have played in the American Revolution (some of our Founding Fathers were masons, among them George Washington and Benjamin Franklin) as well as those in France, South America, and later Russia. Ridley puts into proper perspective the contributions of "the Craft" to civilization over the centuries. Not a mason himself, he nonetheless refutes many of the outrageous allegations made against Freemasonry, while at the same time acknowledging the masons' shortcomings: their clannishness, misogyny, obsession with secrecy, and devotion to arcane ritual."--BOOK JACKET.

Christopher Knight examines the Shroud of Turin, revealing scientific insights that demonstrate the cloth is authentic yet not a copy of Christ’s burial shroud, and traces its medieval origins and link to Jesus.

Mysteries revealed … truths uncovered … and myths dispelled.What is the truth about the Masons suggested in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code? Can Freemasonry really be dated back as far as Babylon? Did they really coordinate the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution? What really goes on at a Mason lodge during an initiation? Here is the real story behind the secret society that now boasts nearly five million members (and has included such illustrious fellows as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin), as revealed by a Master Mason.• Offers a highly illustrated field guide to Masonic jewelry and symbols• Includes further reading, a glossary, a list of famous Freemasons and information on Freemasonry in popular culture• Morris is a Master Mason