An interesting narrative about the history of the rosslyn chapel, christian symbolism, and scottish freemasonry. ( )

Debunks all the silly nonsense which has proliferated over the years. An excellent work by a professional, knowledgeable historian. ( )

I support the review of minfo. This book is great ( )

Believe all that stuff about the Knights Templar running off to hide in Scotland? Convinced that there are a bunch of things buried under Rosslyn or that there are all sorts of secret signs carved into the pillars? If so, you should order overnight delivery on this book and read it from cover to cover. When you're done, you'll have either done a 180 degree turn-around OR you'll have to admit to yourself that you're simply intransigent to reality. Robert L. D. Cooper is the curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland's library and museum where much original material written about by other authors is held. What you'll find astonishing is that those many authors who opine so persuasively on items such as the above have never once gone to look at the source material and study it in detail. Cooper, wearing velvet gloves, demolishes books by Lomas, Knight, Wallace-Murphy and many, many more with undisputable facts, buttressed by ancient documents which he can hold each day.

Further, Cooper is a biographer of the Sinclair family and knows his topic from top to bottom. He's not swayed by fanciful theories or the pseudo-history of the past two decades. Rather, he cites specific documents held by the Grand Lodge of Scotland - again and again and again. He footnotes how contrary claims have been made by specific 'Templar fantasy' authors again and again and again. It is to laugh.
If you want to live in a fantasy world, do avoid this book but if you want find out facts, you'll love it. It's not easy reading: dealing with the many claims that have gained so much sway is not an easy task and the footnotes are copious. You'll be rewarded, though, with a factual understanding which will enable you to laugh when friends, neighbors, and fellow Masons decide to 'educate you' on the Apprentice Pillar or the Battle of Bannockburn's appearance of the Knights Templar. You might even deign to educate them as well.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. ( )