The first book on the Mass that I think is a good introduction to the layman is “The Great Prayer” by Hugh Ross Williamson. As I understand it, Mr. Williamson was once an Anglican minister that converted to Catholicism, and there is no better apologist for an organization of any kind than one who came from a similar organization and switched to the new organization due to its merits. As for most of my suggested reading the identifying ordering information if form a recent reprint and the Imprimatur etc. are from my 1956 first printing.
Publisher : Gracewing (November 2, 2009)
Paperback : 194 pages
ISBN-10 : 0852442955
ISBN-13 : 978-0852442951
(from 1956 copy) Library of Congress catalog card number: 56-9364
Nihil Obstat: John A Goodwine, J.C.D.
Censor Librorum
Imprimatur: +Francis Cardinal Spellman
Archbishop of New York
New York, June 5, 1956
The next book that is good tor read was suggested by a fellow parishioner that is basically on the origins, the history, of the mass. The name of the book is “How Christ Said the First Mass” by Father James L. Meagher, D.D. The following amazon from 2015 review speaks to the authenticity of its facts and why it is a good book to read on the origins of the mass.
This book truly gives the ancient (not modern) Jewish origin of the authentic Tridentine Latin Roman Catholic Mass.
As a former Orthodox Jew who converted to the (pre-Vatican II) Traditional Catholic Faith, I was amazed at the depth of Fr Meagher’s
knowledge of Judaism and Jewish rituals! He clearly shows how thoroughly Jewish the Tridentine Latin Mass truly is, unlike the modern novus ordo rite, which is more protestant.
Publisher : TAN Books (February 1, 1985)
Paperback : 443 pages
ISBN-10 : 0895552078
ISBN-13 : 978-0895552075
Library of Congress catalog card number: 82-74246
The final one was really kind of recommended by my parish priest (maybe one day a bishop), in that he uses it as a reference in the catechism classes he teaches. It is very technical and is entitled “The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: Dogmatically, Liturgically and Ascetically Explained” by Dr. Nicholas Gihr and my copy being published by the B. Herder Book Co. in 1941 and the Imprimatur etc. being from there.
Publisher : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 21, 2015)
Paperback : 264 pages
ISBN-10 : 1519440324
ISBN-13 : 978-1519440327
Nihil Obstat: Sti. Ludovici, die 28. Oct. 1938
F. J. Holweck,
Censor Librorum
Imprimatur: Sti. Ludovici, die 29. Oct. 1938
+Joannes J. Glennon,
Archiepiscopus
The books I have on the Tridentine mass fill a few bookshelves in my library, but these three are in my opinion the best start for learning the virtues as well as the technical aspects of the Tridentine Latin mass and why it is called by some the mass of all time.
Traditional Thomistic Catholic 