Reviews for Builders of Empire: Freemasonry and British Imperialism, 1717-1927

The average rating for Builders of Empire: Freemasonry and British Imperialism, 1717-1927 based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-11-16 00:00:00 Christian Goetz This is not a book about masonic legends and conspiracy theories. This is a scholarly research about the role of the Craft in the spread of the British Empire as well as the its effects on the Craft itself. Dr. Harlan-Jacobs does a wonderful job examining the How's and Why's of how the Craft came to look like it does today, providing excellent and factual stories to back up her statements. This is a historical research book so if you're looking for the Da Vinci Code, this is not it.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-02-16 00:00:00 Cindy Maslen Interesting, flawed book. Book abruptly begins assuming one already knows some basics about freemasonry. It does not cover origins of freemasonry, mythology. It discusses intellectual draw of masonry on the basis of establishing a good social circle, but does not explain how that social circle was seeded..eg what drew people to freemasonry before it reached critical mass? In addition to lacking a good introduction there is no summary of post-imperial masonry. This all makes for a very unsatisfying read. I did enjoy the social commentary on the cosmopolitan, inclusive 17th century masonry ...and how british society + masonry transitioned to stuffy, elitist victorian times.