Loyalists & Malcontents tells the story of Freemasonry in South Carolina and Georgia from the 1730s to the War of Independence and beyond. The book describes how the lodges at Charleston and Savannah were linked to their counterparts in England, and paints a portrait of the planters, lawyers and merchants who comprised South and Freemasonry's elites. This book is pure gold for the Masonic historian. It is meticulously researched and preserves a piece of history that would have otherwise been lost. Dr Berman is quickly becoming the premier source for Freemasonry's early history. 4 December 2015 - Amazon.com. Dr Richard (Ric) Berman is a British historian who researches, writes and speaks on eigteenth and nineteenth English, Irish and American freemasonry. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he is the author of numerous journal articles and books and has delivered keynote lectures across the globe. Ric holds a Masters in Economics from the University of Cambridge and a Doctorate in History from the University of Exeter. His post-doctoral research was carried out at the University of Oxford's Modern European History Research Centre. A freemason for over forty years and twice Prestonian Lecturer, Ric holds Grand Rank in the United Grand Lodge of England and is a Past Master of three English Lodges including Quatuor Coronati, the premier lodge of Masonic research. He is also an American freemason, a member and honorary member of lodges in five states, a Blue Friar, and a Fellow of the Philalethes Society. He was the Anson Jones lecturer for the Texas Lodge of Research in 2023. Born in London, Ric lives in Oxfordshire.