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THIS PAGE NEEDS A BIG OVERHAUL with addition of many of the most recent publications. We'll be working on that in the very near future! Please stay tuned.... In the meantime, though, feel free to browse our book reviews here which include a number of works after this list was compiled.
What should I read first?
We regularly get inquiries from Masons and non-Masons alike asking "What should I read to further understand Freemasonry?". Anti-Masons will sometimes refer to 'recommended reading lists' of lodges - which, in reality, do not exist.
Essentially, there is no specified 'reading list' for Freemasons. Over the years, a few individuals and/or organizations have cobbled together a list of things that they feel are valuable but such lists are the exclusive work of the individual and often greatly reflect their particular field of interest or fascination. No such list should ever be considered as required and, regrettably, there are those Masons who do not take seriously the admonition that they should make a daily advancement in their education.
We've seen a dozen or more lists over the years and although we were always able to find something we'd missed, we'd never seen the 'perfect' list for both Masons and non-Masons. With that understanding, we've taken from the Grand Lodge of New York's Livingston Masonic Museum a list of books they recommended for a reading course they designed for New York Masons in 1998. We then removed those works specific to New York Freemasonry and updated the now several year old list with a couple of more recent publications (noted with an asterisk) that we felt worthy of inclusion. We'll use the same groupings they used.
A. STANDARD COURSE |
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| Masonic Philanthropies by S. Brent Morris |
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| The Craft and its Symbols by Allen E. Roberts |
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| A Comprehensive View of Freemasonry by Henry Wilson Coil |
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| The Builders by Joseph Fort Newton |
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| Along Masonic Trails by Wilmer E. Bresee |
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| The Men's House by Joseph Fort Newton |
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| The Newly-Made Mason by H. L. Haywood |
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| Freemason's Guide and Compendium by Bernard Edward Jones |
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| Foreign Countries by Carl Claudy |
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| A
Pilgrim's Path by John J. Robinson |
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| The Freemasons * by Jasper Ridley |
Masonicinfo Review |
B. ADVANCED COURSE |
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| Dear Brother Herman by Herman Sarachan |
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| The Genesis of Freemasonry by Douglas Knoop and G. P. Jones |
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| The Pocket History of Freemasonry by Fred L. Pick and G. Norman Knight |
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| Facts, Fables, and Fantasies of Freemasonry by William A. Brown |
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| Masonic Symbolism by Charles C. Hunt |
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| Revelations of a Square by George Oliver |
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| Sources of Masonic Symbolism by Alex Horne |
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| Famous Masons by H. L. Haywood |
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| The Clergy and the Craft by Forrest DeLoss Haggard |
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| A Masonic Thought for Each Day of the Year by Alphonse Cerza |
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| Spirit of Masonry by William Hutchinson |
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| The Meaning of Masonry by Walter Wilmshurst |
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| The Masonic Ladder by John Sherer |
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| The Temple and the Lodge by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh |
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C. AMERICAN HISTORY COURSE |
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| Revolutionary Brotherhood by Steven C. Bullock |
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| House Undivided by Allen E. Roberts |
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| House Reunited by Allen E. Roberts |
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| Masonic Membership of the Founding Fathers by Ronald F. Heaton |
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| Freemasonry and the Presidency by Ray Vaughn Denslow |
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| Colonial Freemasonry by Louis C. "Wes" Cook |
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| Freemasonry in the Thirteen Colonies by J. Hugo Tatsch |
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| Cornerstones of Freedom by S. Brent Morris |
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| Brother Truman by Allen E. Roberts |
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| George Washington, Master Mason by Allen E. Roberts |
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| Freemen and Freemasons by James W. Beless |
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D. RECREATIONAL COURSE |
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| The Lodge in Friendship Village by P. W. George |
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| These Were Brethren by Carl H. Claudy |
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| The Man Who Would Be King (and other stories) by Rudyard Kipling |
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| Twice-Told Tales by L. C. Helms |
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| A Treasury of Masonic Thought by Carl Glick |
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| Tied to Masonic Apron Strings by Stewart M. L. Pollard |
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| Born in Blood by John J. Robinson |
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| Two Crowns for America by Katherine Kurtz |
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| Focault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco |
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In addition to the excellent selections outlined above, the Livingstone Masonic
Library also has suggested reading material for a Warden's course, Public
Speaking course, District Deputies' course, Royal Arch course, Scottish Rite
course, Masonic Antique Collector's course, Lives of Famous Freemasons course
and Masonic Organizations course. Check them out here.
Just
click on "Prince, the Search Dog" to find things on our site. He's on every page
and he'll take you directly to our search form where you can see if we've
written about whatever it is you're interested in. Prince has a great memory; he
always remembers where things are!