Compasses and the Cross

Compasses and the Cross
by Stephen Dafoe

Compasses and the Cross
List Price: $23.95
Our Price: $21.14
You Save: $2.81 (12%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $17.97 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


(Click here)
Buy this book at online book store in your country
Canada | UK | Germany | France

Book Summary Information

Author: Stephen Dafoe
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-09-04
ISBN: 0853182981
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing Ltd

Book Reviews of Compasses and the Cross

Book Review: Indispensible
Summary: 5 Stars

Stephen Dafoe's "Compasses and the Cross" is a thoroughly researched and lavishly illustrated history of the development of the Knights Templar within Freemasonry, and the very different paths it took in continental Europe, England, Scotland, Canada and the United States. In a way, it is a companion to his earlier "Nobly Born: An Illustrated History of the Knights Templar," which beautifully tells the story of rise and fall the medieval Templar order. "Compasses and the Cross" picks up 400 years later and tells the story of modern Templary. It is a unique resource for those studying the history of Freemasonry and its labyrinthine degrees and orders. There is no other volume I know of that investigates this important phase of Masonic history in such careful detail. Many have peddled legends that the Templars begat Freemasonry--Dafoe is not in that camp. He has not set out to burst bubbles, but to understand where Masonic Templars came from, and how they became what we see in commanderies and preceptories around the world today.

So much in Freemasonry is explained to its members as "the way we've always done it." That clearly is not so, and that's no way to answer inquisitive students of the fraternity. For those who want to know why and how and when the Knights Templar rode on their steeds into Masonic history, I strongly recommend this book.

Summary of Compasses and the Cross

In the Compasses and the Cross, Stephen Dafoe, the author of Nobly Born: An Illustrated History of the Knights Templar, traces the origins and evolution of the Masonic Knights Templar from their beginnings in the middle of the eighteenth century to its present form. Through the course of the book, Dafoe draws on his knowledge of the history of the original Order as well as that of the modern Masonic variant. Individual chapters will examine the various myths connecting the Templars and Freemasonry put forth by eighteenth and nineteenth century Freemasons including James Anderson, Andrew Michael Ramsay and Baron von Hund, as well as Scottish Freemasons such as William Alexander Lawrie and the Chevalier James Burnes. In addition to separating historical fact from masonic tradition, Dafoe also chronicles the differences in Masonic Templarism as it exists in Britain and the Dominion with that of the United States. An excellent and thought provoking addition to the existing information on the Knights Templar which will be essential reading for all Masons and general readers with an interest in this subject area.

Freemasonry Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Freemasonry Books
The Center Illustrated ImageThe Center Illustrated
by S. G. Fielding
Kessinger Publishing, LLC; Published: 2003-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.16
Price in other shops: $18.95
Freemasonry in the Holy Land or Handmarks of Hiram's Builders ImageFreemasonry in the Holy Land or Handmarks of Hiram's Builders
by Rob Morris
Kessinger Publishing, LLC; Published: 1942-05-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $29.82
Price in other shops: $44.95
Medieval Masons (Shire Archaeology) ImageMedieval Masons (Shire Archaeology)
by Malcolm Hislop
Shire; Published: 2009-11-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.50
Price in other shops: $13.95
Freemasonry in Context: History, Ritual, Controversy ImageFreemasonry in Context: History, Ritual, Controversy
Lexington Books; Published: 2004-05-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $409.93
Secrets and Practices of the Freemasons: Sacred Mysteries, Rituals and Symbols Revealed ImageSecrets and Practices of the Freemasons: Sacred Mysteries, Rituals and Symbols Revealed
by Jean-Louis de Biasi
Llewellyn Publications; Published: 2011-01-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.49
Price in other shops: $19.95
Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance ImageFreemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance
by W. Kirk MacNulty
Thames & Hudson; Published: 2006-10-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $26.14
Price in other shops: $45.00
A Noble Fight: African American Freemasonry and the Struggle for Democracy in America ImageA Noble Fight: African American Freemasonry and the Struggle for Democracy in America
by Corey D. B. Walker
University of Illinois Press; Published: 2008-11-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $43.40
Price in other shops: $47.00
Michigan Masonic Monitor ImageMichigan Masonic Monitor
by Lou B. Winsor
General Books LLC; Published: 2010-10-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.01
Price in other shops: $12.02
Inside the Brotherhood: Explosive Secret ImageInside the Brotherhood: Explosive Secret
by Martin Short
Harpercollins MD; Published: 2009-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $54.61
Shadow of Solomon ImageShadow of Solomon
by Laurence Gardner
Element; Published: 2005-08-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $17.05
Similar Books and other products
The Templar Code For Dummies ImageThe Templar Code For Dummies
by Christopher Hodapp, Alice Von Kannon
For Dummies; Published: 2007-06-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.88
Price in other shops: $19.99
The Freemasons Key - A Study of Masonic Symbolism ImageThe Freemasons Key - A Study of Masonic Symbolism
Cornerstone Book Publishers; Published: 2008-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.52
Price in other shops: $18.95
The Masonic Myth: Unlocking the Truth About the Symbols, the Secret Rites, and the History of Freemasonry ImageThe Masonic Myth: Unlocking the Truth About the Symbols, the Secret Rites, and the History of Freemasonry
by Jay Kinney
HarperOne; Published: 2009-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.17
Price in other shops: $15.99
Solomon's Builders: Freemasons, Founding Fathers and the Secrets of Washington D.C. ImageSolomon's Builders: Freemasons, Founding Fathers and the Secrets of Washington D.C.
by Christopher Hodapp
Ulysses Press; Published: 2006-12-21; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.75
Price in other shops: $14.95
Knights Templar Encyclopedia ImageKnights Templar Encyclopedia
by Karen Ralls
New Page Books; Published: 2007-04-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.94
Price in other shops: $19.99
The Warriors and Bankers ImageThe Warriors and Bankers
by Alan Butler
Ian Allan Ltd; Published: 2006-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.88
Price in other shops: $17.95
Morgan: The Scandal That Shook Freemasonry ImageMorgan: The Scandal That Shook Freemasonry
by Stephen Dafoe
Cornerstone Book Publishers; Published: 2009-05-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $22.71
Price in other shops: $26.95
The Masonic Magician: The Life and Death of Count Cagliostro and His Egyptian Rite ImageThe Masonic Magician: The Life and Death of Count Cagliostro and His Egyptian Rite
by Philippa Faulks, Robert L D Cooper
Watkins; Published: 2008-10-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.16
Price in other shops: $24.95
Committed to the Flames: The History and Rituals of a Secret Masonic Rite ImageCommitted to the Flames: The History and Rituals of a Secret Masonic Rite
by Arturo de Hoyos, S. Brent Morris
A. Lewis (London); Published: 2007-07-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $25.70
Price in other shops: $36.95
Nobly Born: An Illustrated History of the Knights Templar ImageNobly Born: An Illustrated History of the Knights Templar
by Stephen Dafoe
Lewis Masonic Pub; Published: 2007-01-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $28.08
Price in other shops: $36.95
Book store. Illustrated catalog of books on different categories