The early days of organised Freemasonry have been neglected for too long, largely because there is not a huge store of documents to be poured over and analysed. What the author has done in this valuable book is to look at the social, political, scientific, intellectual and religious background of the period in which we believe Freemasonry was originating and developing combined with personalities whom we know to have been involved in the early Grand lodge days and the major figures who formed part of their circles. Why are Freemasonry’s rituals laced with scientific concepts and the imperative for learning? Why such a reliance on allegory? Why is the outmoded science enshrined in Ritual so crucial? How did such a dubious group of founders create a brotherhood based on the strictest principles of humanitarian behaviour and why did the intrinsic beauty of the concept far outweigh their shortcomings?Once in every generation comes a lateral thinker who brings radically new perspectives to old questions. Professor Charles Lawrence has been a scholar of Freemasonry for over forty years, but he is also an internationally recognised scientist and engineer. These parallel disciplines have influenced his approach to Masonic historiography, demanding profound analysis and the same detached stringency he applies to his scientific work. Those with preconceptions about Masonry may find this an uncomfortable read. Questions are raised to which the answers are not always easy or palatable. Yet for those seeking the true Key to Modern Freemasonry, this book provides a solid base from which to begin the quest. This book is not easy to read but the analitycal mind of the author is of great help. The reader finds in this book a wealth of factual information together with a new and fascinating theory which deserves to be discussed Paperback ISBN: 9780955035265 SKU: N5265 512 pages 35 colour plates 30 monochrome plates & 16 tables £24.99 Lewis Masonic, 2011

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