| Abstract: | The Order of Freemasons has helped to develop and shape the history of South Africa since the first masonic lodge was founded in 1772. Many prominent men who took a leading part in the public life of South Africa were, and are, members of this Order. This book tells of the influence these men as Freemasons exerted on the society of their respective times. It also recounts the effects of major changes on the Order, from 1772 to the present. Written by a leading mason, the book also reviews in depth the periodic onslaughts from various quarters against Freemasonry, and probes the future of the movement in the changing face of a developing South Africa. |