Jim Tresner, 33°, Grand Cross
P.O. Box 70
Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044–0070
Book Reviews Editor
The Scottish Rite Journal

I enjoy the winter. The cold winds outside give a perfect excuse to spend the evening reading or listening to music, or both. A glass of port to sip, a chunk of cheddar to savor, a good book to enjoy, and I’m about as content as a man can be. Herewith, a variety of ways to pass a winter’s evenin

Wade Rowland, Galileo’s Mistake: A New Look at the Epic Confrontation between Galileo and the Church, New York: Arcade Publishing Company, 2001, hardbound, 298 pages, illustrations, ISBN 1–55970–684–8, cover price $26.95, available on the Internet from $18.87.

This is another “feather alert” book—that is to say, a book recommended to me by Ill\ Richard E. Fletcher, 33°, P\G\M\ of Vermont, and Executive Director of the Masonic Service Association of North America. It’s a great book. I have always been fascinated with the difference between truth and fact, and Rowland demonstrates that this was at the center of the friction between Galileo and the Church. Professor Rowland holds the MacLean–Hunter Chair of Ethics in Communication at Ryerson University in Toronto, and he is not only an accomplished scholar but also an excellent writer. It would be enough to recommend the book just on its strength as a biography and as an exploration of one of the moments which defined the modern world. But there is more.

Galileo had been buried in a small crypt under a side chapel in the cathedral in Florence. Almost at once, his friends and supporters started to lobby Rome for permission to build a monumental tomb in the cathedral and move his body to it. The effort continued for nearly 100 years after his death before Rome gave permission. And Rowland tells us: “The successful solicitation had come from a group of Florentine intellectuals and Freemasons,” and the source Rowland cites refers to them as “Freemasons and convinced Copernicans.” The year was 1734. The implications of that, Brethren, are worth some thought.

Wilson A. Heefner, Patton’s Bulldog: The Life and Service of General Walton H. Walker, Shippensburg, Penn.: White Mane Books, 2001, hardbound, 348 pages, photographs and maps, ISBN 1–57249– 283–X available at Amazon.com from $20.72.

When Brother Heefner, 32°, Valley of Stockton, California, retired from his career of 41 years as a physician with the U.S. Army, he started a second career as a military biographer and historian. He has produced a compelling book with the story of Brother and General Walker. It is inspiring to see what a man can do against almost impossible odds, and General Walker is a case in point. He was a man of great personal integrity and determination. The book is a pleasure to read and is written with clarity of style, which makes complex issues and military campaigns easy to understand and follow. The research is first rate, and General Alexander Haig praised the book when it appeared in print as telling the story of a great American hero who is too often not appreciated. If you are interested in military history or the lives of great Masons, this book belongs in your library.

John T. Mathews, compiler, Masonic Books on CD-ROM. Visit the MasonicCD web site at www.MasterMason.biz (various levels of content and prices).

It’s hard to find the proper format for this listing, because it covers such a wide range of material. Brother Mathews’ company is making Masonic books, many of which have been out of print for decades, available on a CD ROM you can read on your computer screen. And the books are searchable, which means that you can find information quickly and easily. Each CD contains more than books: there are 2,000 graphics and images, and 111 Masonic screen savers. Some of the CD’s have Masonic tests, crossword puzzles, etc.

But the books are the great joy. There are, presently, 6 different CD ROMs, ranging from 3 books to 41 books on the disc. The disks are designated “Standard,” “Professional,” “Premium,” “Library,” “Ultimate,” and “Ultimate Plus.” Currently, prices range from $19.50 and up. New material is being added all the time, so content and prices are subject to change. Note that each disc is cumulative and contains the materials of the previous disk or disks, plus additional materials. So one disc is, generally, what you will receive, though, in fact, the “Ultimate Plus” is so substantive that you will receive two disks, if you order that version.
We simply don’t have the space here to list all the contents of every disk (you’ll find the contents of each disc in detail at the web site) but just to illustrate: the “Standard” disc contains, in addition to the graphics, etc., The Meaning of Masonry by Wilmshurst, Solomon’s Temple Spiritualized by Bunyan, and The Regius Manuscript. By moving up a couple of notches to the “Library” version, you add Mackey’s Encyclopedia; Freemasonry and Its Etiquette by Preston and Campbell; The Poetry of Freemasonry by Morris; Duncan’s Revised Ritual Complete; History of Freemasonry; Masonic Catechism; Morals and Dogma by Pike, and more for a total of 26 books. The Masonic CD “Ultimate Plus” has 41 books with more than 10,000 pages. Admittedly, some of the books are very lightweight, but the important and historically standard books are all included. Note: if you do not have Microsoft Office on your computer, you will need to purchase “Open Office” from the same web site. It’s worth visiting the site to browse around, and having access to these books is a real treat.

Marc E. Cheban, organist, Organ Music from Corinthian Hall, 2000, Diskmakers, order from www.lostword.com, $24.95 + shipping and handling.

Corinthian Hall is in the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia, which houses the Grand Lodge, and the Masonic Museum and Library of Pennsylvania. It is the site of annual organ concerts, performed by world-famed organists on the Temple’s Rogers Model 950 organ. Marc Cheban is well known as an organist, choral director, and composer, and the recording shows that his reputation is well founded. There are some brilliant performances here. The music is not Masonic, but contains many favorites including Gershwin’s “Oriental Blues,” Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue in d Minor,” music from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” in an arrangement by Cheban, and several other works, including an original composition, “Trumpet Tune,” by the organist. For enthusiasts, like myself, of organ music, the notes with the disc contain the disposition of the Rogers organ. It’s an exciting performance!

Caspar Fürstenau (composer), Masonic Music, Genova, Italy, Dynamic Record Company, 1999, order from amazon.com $18.98.

Fürstenau, who lived from 1772 to 1819, founded a family which would be of importance in German music for three generations. This is the first recording of his Masonic music—two sets of six songs each. He was a member of two Lodges and dedicated a set to each: “Six Masonic Songs for solos, male choir, flute and guitar, brotherly dedicated to the righteous and perfect lodge Zu den drei Balcken in the Orient of Münster,” and “Six Masonic Songs for solos, male choir, flute and guitar, brotherly dedicated to the righteous and perfect lodge Zur Bundeskette, in the Orient of Soest.” The CD also contains 12 non-Masonic pieces for flute and guitar.