The Craft

How the Freemasons Made the Modern World

By: John Dickie

Narrated by: Simon Slater

Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Cecil Rhodes and Shaquille O'Neal; Mozart and Peter Sellers; Duke Ellington and the Duke of Wellington; Benjamin Franklin and Rudyard Kipling. These Masons, and many others, people the pages of The Craft, but even more compelling is the overarching narrative of Freemasonry itself. As a set of character-forming ideals, and a way of binding men in fellowship, it proved so addictive that within a few decades of its foundation in London in 1717 it had spread as far as India, Australia, South Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean.

Under George Washington, the Craft became a creed for the new American nation; Masonic networks held the British empire together; under Napoleon, the Craft became a tool of authoritarianism and then a cover for revolutionary conspiracy. The Mormons borrowed their rituals from the Craft. The Sicilian mafia stole the Masonic organizational model.

Amid all this strange diversity, Masonry's core rituals and values have remained unchanged, inspiring both loyalty and suspicion. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, Freemasonry has always been a secret den of atheists and devil-worshippers: all Masons have been excommunicated since 1738. For Hitler, Mussolini and Franco the Lodges spread the diseases of pacifism, socialism and Jewish influence, so had to be crushed.

Professor Dickie's The Craft is an enthralling exploration of a movement that not only helped to forge modern society, but still has substantial contemporary influence. With 400,000 members in Britain, over a million in the USA, and around six million across the world, understanding the role of Freemasonry is as important now as it has ever been.

©2020 John Dickie (P)2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

Excellent historical overview

The book covers novel events throughout the history of masonry, all of which illuminate the character of it's practice and members. It opens ones eyes a little to the proud culture of the craft and makes for a perfect introduction to those looking to find out and join.

Interesting and irritating look at Freemasonry.

Interesting, fascinating and intriguing stories but quite often delivered with a sneering tone and a heavy load of ‘identity politics’ added in to discredit Freemasonry (you know the usual topics used).

Hi hopes

Well I had high hopes for this book unfortunately it just tell you how much everybody dislikes the freemasons .
If john dickie was a freemason he would have had a better under standing .
it just seemed to me and others I have talked to about this book it's just another collection of corruption and lothing of a fraternal order.

Great Insight

Great Insight with considered narration. I learnt lots about a topic I knew nothing about. A little more depth on the practice of Freemasonry itself rather than the history might have been nice bit overall a great interesting listen packed with information.

Very interested book and subject

Hi all if you are interested in Freemasonry give this book a listen,

You may just fine out something you did not known or that you miss understood

An excellent and wide ranging history of Freemason

Really enjoyed the balanced approach to the history of the Masonic Order by a non Mason

loved it

Whether you have an interest in the freemasons or not, this is a superb listen. A history lesson that almost anyone can enjoy.

very good book

loads of content and well read aswell. having listened to this one can see the repetition of history in different places and how freemasonry has survived during these times.