# What's your favorite Masonic book?



## Dow Mathis (Jun 16, 2017)

If you had to pick a favorite, what would be your favorite Masonic book?  I'm looking to expand my personal library, and possibly that of my lodge.  I'm primarily looking for fairly recent books, published in the last 10-15 years.

Thanks!


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## Ripcord22A (Jun 16, 2017)

Theres a thread somewhere on here about this

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## Bloke (Jun 16, 2017)

It's a tough question. Depends where u r at...

*paste*
*Freemasonry - Symbols, Secrets, Significance*
By *W. Kirk MacNulty, Published Thames and Hudson 2006 ISBN 978-050051302-6*




*Reviewed by WBro Damien of Lodge Devotion*



*Verdict;                       Excellent*

*Recommended for;     Master Masons*





I recently obtained a copy of the above from the Kew Library but have also seen it in bookstores.



Don’t let the hundreds of wonderful pictures fool you; this book is for_reading_ with interesting and well written text reflecting the sound Masonic knowledge of the author. One of the early chapters is an excellent crash course in Masonic history founded in fact rather than speculation. It gives a succinct account of the foundation of United Grand Lodge England and others. It describes the development of Anderson’s Constitutions and explains the split of the “Ancients” and “Moderns” in 1751. Later, it touches on the higher orders and contextualizes Freemasonry in the philosophical outlook of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century. It contains an interesting take on the symbolic meaning of lodge officers. Some reviewers criticise it for “text was limited to brief essays and extensive captions” – but for me, that was part of the attraction.



What another reviewer said;

_Ceremonial regalia, paintings, manuscripts, tracing boards, ritual swords, furniture, prints, ephemera, and architecture: the book is copiously illustrated with many specially researched items from Freemasonry archives. This unrivalled compendium will appeal both to Freemasons wishing to learn the full story of their order and to a general audience that is intensely curious about this traditionally secretive and closed movement._



Topics include the historical and philosophical background of the order, including the Knights Templar, the medieval stonemasons' guilds, and esoteric traditions such as Kabbalah and Hermeticism its history from the earliest Masons to the present day, including famous members and scandals its geographical spread from Japan to California, Sweden to South Africa *300 illustrations, 200 in colour*


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## goomba (Jun 16, 2017)

If I had to pick one it would be:  The Craft and Its Symbols by Allen Roberts.  

It's short enough to not be a burden.  It's just enough to get you going.  Lastly, pretty pictures


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## Dow Mathis (Jun 16, 2017)

Ripcond:  I actually found reference to a thread on masonic books, but when I searched for the thread title, it returned no hits.

Bloke:  I've got that one checked out from the library right now.  You're right, it's an outstanding book.  Definitely on my short list.

Goomba:  I'll give that one a look. 

Fact is, I've got a huge masonic library of scanned documents... Years back, some guy on here was selling a dvd of stuff and I got a copy.  about 4.5 GB of stuff... 464 titles, all scanned documents.  Pretty much all of the old stuff is there from Pike, Mackey, etc., but I was looking for something more recent and more readable.  Not to mention that even though I've got all those documents, i seldom read them because they're not in book form.  There's just something satisfying about holding a book, feeling the paper, smelling that great old "library" smell.


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## coachn (Jun 17, 2017)

Dow Mathis said:


> Ripcond:  I actually found reference to a thread on masonic books, but when I searched for the thread title, it returned no hits.
> 
> Bloke:  I've got that one checked out from the library right now.  You're right, it's an outstanding book.  Definitely on my short list.
> 
> ...


Check out http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm

Yes, I am the author.


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## goomba (Jun 19, 2017)

coachn said:


> Check out http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm
> 
> Yes, I am the author.




Yeah these have some useful stuff in them as well.


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## coachn (Jun 20, 2017)

Dow Mathis said:


> ...Fact is, I've got a huge masonic library of scanned documents...


BTW - You may "think" that you have a huge "Masonic" library, when all that you truly have is a "Freemasonic" Library.  

http://buildinghiram.blogspot.com/2016/02/what-kind-of-library-do-you-have.html


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## Dow Mathis (Jun 21, 2017)

coachn said:


> BTW - You may "think" that you have a huge "Masonic" library, when all that you truly have is a "Freemasonic" Library.
> 
> http://buildinghiram.blogspot.com/2016/02/what-kind-of-library-do-you-have.html



Well, that is certainly true.


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## Bro. ricardo hardy (Jun 21, 2017)

The lodge and the .Craft by Rollin C Blackmer, copyright 1965 Macoy Publishing & Masonic supply Co.Richmond Virginia 23228. Very informative little book


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## Dow Mathis (Jun 22, 2017)

By the way, I picked up a 1951 Macoy copy of The Builders by Joseph Fort Newton last weekend at a local used bookstore.  It's in pretty good shape, and while I've only started it, I think I'm really going to enjoy it.  I also picked up the Little Masonic Library.  I can't remember when the publish date is on this particular set, but they look to be largely unread, although the covers have a little bug damage.

I really need to stay out of old bookshops.


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## otherstar (Jun 22, 2017)

Bro. ricardo hardy said:


> The lodge and the .Craft by Rollin C Blackmer, copyright 1965 Macoy Publishing & Masonic supply Co.Richmond Virginia 23228. Very informative little book
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using My Freemasonry


 

That is a wonderful book, and highly underrated in my opinion.

My favorites would be _The Freemason at Work_ by Henry Carr (primarily written for British Freemasons, but extremely useful for all Masons), and _Freemasons Guide and Compendium_ by Bernard E. Jones. Both of those are books I keep going back to time and again.


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## BullDozer Harrell (Jul 1, 2017)

The "Initiatic Experience" by Robert Herd, editor of the Living Stones magazine is a fairly recent & well written book.

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## BullDozer Harrell (Jul 2, 2017)

A guide book






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## CLewey44 (Jul 2, 2017)

Red/Blue Book for sure!


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## GKA (Jul 2, 2017)

I cannot put into words how happy I am that "Freemasonry for Dummies" is not on the list.


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## goomba (Jul 4, 2017)

So I have started buying a few items from the Masonic Service Association of North America.  While I am on the fence about saying this is my favorite book it is a great one.  It's 50 pages long and cost $6.00.  To be so short it really does cover a ton of information.


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## Pointwithinacircle3 (Oct 7, 2018)

Philosophy of Freemasonry by Roscoe Pound


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## Phil Pearce (Nov 19, 2019)

*The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland's Century, 1590 to 1710, by David Stevenson.  A scholarly book by a noted Scottish historian. An eye-opener. Extremely well-researched.*


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## TheThumbPuppy (Dec 15, 2019)

I'm just reading _The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland's Century, 1590 to 1710_ ! One of my favourite books so far.


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## Pointwithinacircle3 (Dec 16, 2019)

“The Philosophy of Freemasonry” by Roscoe Pound is always worth reading.

http://www.themasonictrowel.com/ebooks/freemasonry/eb0339.pdf


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