Almanacs have been in existence for many years and the word is familiar to most Masons. Everyone at some time or other has either seen, read, or purchased a copy of the Old Farmers’ Almanac which is sold in many supermarts and book stores. Some Masons have heard that there have been Masonic Almanacs and also Anti-Masonic Almanacs, but few of them have ever seen a copy or have one in their personal libraries.

On September 10, 1982, M.W. Bro. Raymond H. Bachman, Grand Master of Masons in Illinois, came to Bloomington and instituted Ancient Landmarks Lodge U.D. Choosing its name presented some difficulties, since most good Masonic allusions, like Acacia, Anchor and Ark, Blazing Star, Charity, Further Light, etc., had already been chosen. But although several of our sister states had used the name, Ancient Landmarks had never been used in Illinois, and thus it became the name of our new and in some respects, special Lodge.

On September 10, 1982, M.W. Bro. Raymond H. Bachman, Grand Master of Masons in Illinois, came to Bloomington and instituted Ancient Landmarks Lodge U.D. Choosing its name presented some difficulties, since most good Masonic allusions, like Acacia, Anchor and Ark, Blazing Star, Charity, Further Light, etc., had already been chosen. But although several of our sister states had used the name, Ancient Landmarks had never been used in Illinois, and thus it became the name of our new and in some respects, special Lodge.

Melvin Maynard Johnson (1871-1957) was one of the leading Freemasons of his day and this book has acquired the reputation of being a “Masonic classic.” It has been out-of-print for many years and is appropriately issued during this Bicentennial period of the formation of our nation.

There have been many books published over the years which claim to be exposures of the Masonic ritual. Some of our members look upon them as mere “curiosities,” others get high blood pressure when they hear about them and urge the Craft to take steps to suppress them, and others consider them as useful tools to trace the development of our ritual on the assumption that they possibly contain some elements of similarity with the work being done in our lodges at the time.

This book is addressed to Masons with four types of literary interests: (1) The member who has learned for the first time about the world of Masonic books and wants to know what printed material has been published so he can start to do some reading and thus improve himself in Masonry; (2) The member who has discovered that he has time on his hands and wants to read Masonic material and thus become a better informed Mason; (3) The member who has become an officer and wishes to improve his skills and thus serve in a better way; and (4) The member who is interested in doing research in order to prepare a talk, an article for publication, or a book on a Masonic subject.

Dr. George Oliver has been the most prolific Masonic writer of all times. His many books have covered many Masonic subjects and he was highly regarded in his day. Unfortunately, on a number of occasions he made state ments which have been construed in the wrong way and he has been characterized at times as a writer of imaginative Masonic history. We must judge him in the light of conditions that existed when he lived; and at that time there were few reliable Masonic records which he could examine. Furthermore, he was not a historian but a philosopher and too often his statements were construed as history rather than something else. He is entitled to special credit for editing the works of others and helping preserve them for our use today.

Dr. George Oliver has been the most prolific Masonic writer of all times. His many books have covered many Masonic subjects and he was highly regarded in his day. Unfortunately, on a number of occasions he made state ments which have been construed in the wrong way and he has been characterized at times as a writer of imaginative Masonic history. We must judge him in the light of conditions that existed when he lived; and at that time there were few reliable Masonic records which he could examine. Furthermore, he was not a historian but a philosopher and too often his statements were construed as history rather than something else. He is entitled to special credit for editing the works of others and helping preserve them for our use today.

The unparalleled sufferings of John Coustos, who nine times underwent the most cruel tortures ever invented by man, and sentenced to the galley four years, by command of the inquisitors at Lisbon, in order to extort from him the secrets of Free-Masonry; from whence he was released by the gracious interposition of His late Majesty, King George II. : To this edition is added, a selection of Masonic songs, and a complete list of lodges, foreign and domestic.

The Constitutions of the Freemasons by Dr. James Anderson, published in 1723, is the most famous Masonic book in the world. It has been translated into many foreign languages, has been the subject of considerable examination and comment over the years, and has been reproduced many times. With the passage of time it has become universally recognized as the basic law book of Freemasonry. It is significant that the first Masonic book to be published in the Western Hemisphere was the 1723 edition of Anderson’s book, by Benjamin Franklin, in 1734. A facsimile of Franklin’s book was the second volume to be published by The Masonic Book Club, in 1971 together with the differences listed between the original and Franklin’s edition.

The National Masonic Congress which met in Baltimore, Maryland on May 8, 1843 and remained in session for nine days is an important event in the history of Freemasonry in the United States. The professed purpose of the meeting was to bring about a uniformity of the Masonic ritual in the United States and to recommend to the Grand Lodges matters that would be beneficial to the Craft.

Masonry Dissected by Samuel Prichard, first published in 1730, was an easy book to select for publication by The Masonic Book Club for it has been a Masonic classic for many years. The book has been out-of-print for many years and has been hard to locate even in Masonic libraries. It was the first major expose of the Masonic ritual to be printed; and it occupies an important place in the history of the ritual because it contains the first clear description of a system of three degrees.

When the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasons of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America dedicated its new Museum-Library in Lexington, Massachusetts on April 20,1975, two hundred years and one day after Paul Revere’s ride, it gave an outstanding Bicentennial gift to the people of the United States.

Many years ago William E. Gladstone, eminent British statesman, described the Constitution of the United States as “the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.” The men who created the document have been described by enthusiastic speakers as “divinely inspired” and also as being “demi-gods.”

here is nothing quite so vital in this life as a timely idea. Obversely, there is nothing as futile as an idea proposed before people are ready to accept it. The civilized world was ready for Martin Luther when he nailed his ninety-five theses on the front door of Wittenberg Cathedral in 1517; but Galileo, being born fifty years too soon, would have been burned at the stake had he not recanted his theory of a round world in 1632.

Running through all the events of the founding of our Nation, the desire for Liberty was the one factor that controlled every thought-that motivated every action. As our Founding Fathers watched the gathering storm and experienced the continuous acts of repression passed and practiced by their British rulers, the need for Freedom: freedom of thought, of speech, of peaceable assembly, of political action-determined every move they made, every step they took.

This fifth volume of the Masonic Book Club presents material that is rare and not easily accessible to the average Masonic reader. Dr. D’Assigny’s works are not earth-shattering. His literary effort should be read in the light of the days in which he lived. They caused only a faint ripple in a narrow field when they were published, and very promptly dropped from sight, only to be unearthed over a century later. They are curiosities, yet; but most interesting curiosities. His Serious and Impartial Enquiry engages in the usual flights of historical fantasy, after the pattern so well initiated by Dr. James Anderson a few years before. His Answer to the Pope’s Bull and his Answer to the Enemies of Free-Masonry may have required more courage than most of us realize today. So let us not underestimate the effect such a strong defense of the Craft might have had upon the readers of that day.

Its influence on our ritual structure cannot be overestimated. Brother Callaway speaks of its use in Georgia. Speaking of Illinois ritual, Preston is followed in literally hundreds of phrases. Preston conceived of Masonry as a great educational force. He collected, refined and polished its language and imagery, and left us a Masonic heritage to last throughout the centuries.

Laurence Dermott, a pivotal figure in 18th-century Freemasonry, rose from obscurity to become Grand Secretary of the Ancient Grand Lodge in 1752. ​Dermott, alongside other influential Masonic figures like James Anderson and William Preston, played a crucial role in shaping Masonic history during its period of organization and growth. Known for his dedication to the Ancient Grand Lodge and his promotion of the Royal Arch ceremonies, Dermott was both admired for his intellectual achievements and criticized for his polemical style. His work, “Ahiman Rezon,” served as a foundational text for the Ancient Grand Lodge, rivaling Anderson’s “Constitutions” and influencing Masonic practices in various regions. ​ Dermott’s legacy is marked by his unwavering commitment to Freemasonry, despite his contentious approach toward the Moderns. ​

Benjamin Franklin’s 1734 publication of The Constitutions of the Free-Masons stands as a landmark in both American printing and fraternal history. Essentially a reprint of Dr. James Anderson’s 1723 original British version, Franklin, who was himself the Grand Master of Pennsylvania at the time, produced the volume to provide a standardized framework for the growing number of lodges across the colonies. Beyond its organizational utility, the book is a testament to Franklin’s spirit and his deep alignment with Enlightenment-era ideals like secular morality, self-improvement, and civic duty.

THE OLDEST EXTANT DOCUMENT in the world with direct Masonic significance is the poem known as The Regius Poem, sometimes described as the Regius Manuscript or the Halliwell Manuscript. It is believed to have been written around the year 1390; and as indicated in line 143 of the Poem itself, it is believed to have been copied from an older document.