To the layman, the Freemasons are a mysterious brotherhood. This text follows the development of Freemasonry from the operative working masons of the Middle Ages to the gentlemen masons of the 18th century through to the position of the Freemasons in British society in the 21st century. The book also examines various aspects of the Freemasons through history including: the part played by Freemasons in the American Revolution of 1776; the significance of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute; and the responsibility of the Freemasons for the French Revolution.