Besproken in AQC, jrg.96 (1983), 1984, pp.224,225:
“Bro. Carr was one whose brilliance as a lecturer outshone that of most of us and he was an expert not only in persuasion but in telling his audiences what they wanted to hear. He give the impression that it was rather sacrilegious to question the gospel of Harry Carr and his attitude brought forth the passage which I once wrote after we disagreed on some controversial but fundamental point: ‘Once a belief has become imprinted upon a man’s mind it usually takes exclusive possession…’ In this, his last book, Bro. Carr gives renewed life to the theme of 600 years of Craft ritual and thereby illustrates the above contention. For this idea although superficially plausible, is misleading and in danger of all too easy acceptance. Furthermore, it is a simply step to the belief that speculative Masonry is also 600 years old…The implication is that the Freemasonry with which we are familiar began to take shape in the 14th century, but we delude ourselves if we imagine that the organizational activities of stonemasons in the late Middle Ages form part of a continuous process extending right down to the present day customs of Free and Accepted Masons, who fundamentally have no direct connection whatever with the building trades…Much space has been devoted in this review to what I have long argued is the fallacy of suggesting that the masonic fraternity of today has grown in a continuous process from the late 14th century. We would all like it to be so but the improbabilities, and in some instances downright impossibilities, are too great to be ignored. The certainties against are too significant to lead us to such a conclusion. The remainder of the book, which contains other controversial matter, will not here be dissected. But by and large it will be of great interest to all who revere the memory of an outstanding mason and scholar.”