The Secret History of Freemasonry: A Complete Illustrated Reference to the Brotherhood of Masons, Covering 1000 Years of Rituals and Rites, Signs and Symbols, from Ancient Foundation to the Modern Day - Hardcover

The Freemasons is one of the world's oldest secular fraternal societies. Its membership is made up of a society of men who declare their concern with moral and spiritual values. The origins of the society are uncertain, but it is thought that the organization evolved hundreds of years ago from travelling stone masons who made the medieval cathedrals and castles. As well as exploring the history and legends of the Freemasons, this book also delves into the analysis and illustration of the signs and symbols of the Freemasons. Symbols such as the all-seeing eye, the five-pointed star, the sun and the moon, the mason's square. Beautifully illustrated with over 300 fine art images, this book will appeal to anyone interested in finding out the meaning of the symbolism of the past.

Jeremy Harwood was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, where he read modern history. He was elected an Open Exhibitioner of the college and awarded the Sir Keith Feiling Memorial Prize as the top history student of his final year. After working on the catalogue of the letters and papers of the third Marquis of Salisbury, he became a full-time editor and writer. Among the books he has written are Secrets of the Bach Flower Remedies, which was published by Dorling Kindersley in the UK and the USA. Most recently, he was contributing editor of the award-winning Mysteries of History, published by National Geographic.