A Flag Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of National Symbols (Politics of Place Book 2)

Combining keen analysis of current events with world history, Tim Marshall, author of the New York Times bestseller Prisoners of Geography , provides "an entertaining whistle-stop tour of world flags" ( Library Journal )--how their power is used to unite and divide populations and intimidate enemies. For thousands of years flags have represented our hopes and dreams. We wave them. Burn them. March under their colors. And still, in the twenty-first century, we die for them. Flags fly at the UN, on Arab streets, from front porches in Texas. They represent the politics of high power as well as the politics of the mob. From the renewed sense of nationalism in China, to troubled identities in Europe and the USA, to the terrifying rise of Islamic State, the world is a confusing place right now and it's important to understand the symbols, old and new, that people are rallying around. In nine chapters (covering the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America, international flags, and flags of terror), Tim Marshall's A Flag Worth Dying For is a "brisk, entertaining read...that successfully answers a puzzling question: how can a simple piece of cloth come to mean so much? Marshall presents an informative survey of these highly visible symbols of national or international pride" ( Publishers Weekly ), representing nation states and non-state actors (including ISIS, Hezbollah, and Hamas), and explains how they figure in diplomatic relations and events today. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of global reporting experience to reveal the true meaning behind the symbols that unite us--and divide us--Marshall "writes with the cool drollery that characterized the work of Christopher Hitchens of Simon Winchester" ( USA TODAY ). The "illuminating" ( The New York Times ) A Flag Worth Dying For is a winning combination of current affairs, politics, and world history and "a treasure vault for vexillologists, full of meaning beyond the hue and thread of the world's banners" ( Kirkus Reviews ) Combining keen analysis of current events with world history, Tim Marshall, author of the New York Times bestseller Prisoners of Geography , provides "an entertaining whistle-stop tour of world flags" ( Library Journal )—how their power is used to unite and divide populations and intimidate enemies. For thousands of years flags have represented our hopes and dreams. We wave them. Burn them. March under their colors. And still, in the twenty-first century, we die for them. Flags fly at the UN, on Arab streets, from front porches in Texas. They represent the politics of high power as well as the politics of the mob. From the renewed sense of nationalism in China, to troubled identities in Europe and the USA, to the terrifying rise of Islamic State, the world is a confusing place right now and it's important to understand the symbols, old and new, that people are rallying around. In nine chapters (covering the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America, international flags, and flags of terror), Tim Marshall's A Flag Worth Dying For is a "brisk, entertaining read...that successfully answers a puzzling question: how can a simple piece of cloth come to mean so much? Marshall presents an informative survey of these highly visible symbols of national or international pride" ( Publishers Weekly ), representing nation states and non-state actors (including ISIS, Hezbollah, and Hamas), and explains how they figure in diplomatic relations and events today. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of global reporting experience to reveal the true meaning behind the symbols that unite us—and divide us—Marshall "writes with the cool drollery that characterized the work of Christopher Hitchens or Simon Winchester" ( USA TODAY ). The "illuminating" ( The New York Times ) A Flag Worth Dying For is a winning combination of current affairs, politics, and world history and "a treasure vault for vexillologists, full of meaning beyond the hue and thread of the world's banners" ( Kirkus Reviews ). The stars and stripes -- The union and the jack -- The cross and the crusades -- Colors of Arabia -- Flags of fear -- East of Eden -- Flags of freedom -- Flags of revolution -- The good, the bad, and the ugly;From the renewed sense of nationalism in China to troubled identities in Europe and the USA, to the terrifying rise of Islamic State, the world is a confusing place right now and we need to understand the symbols, old and new, that people are rallying around. For thousands of years, flags have represented our hopes and dreams. We wave them. Burn them. March under their colors. And still, in the twenty-first century, we die for them. Flags fly at the UN, on Arab streets, from front porches in Texas. They represent the politics of high power as well as the politics of the mob. In nine chapters covering the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America, international flags, and flags of terror, Tim Marshall examines the systems of symbols that represent nation states and non-state actors (including ISIS, Hezbollah, and Hamas) and how they figure in diplomatic relations and events today. Combining keen analysis of current events with world history, Tim Marshall, author of the New York Times bestseller Prisoners of Geography, "one of the best books on geopolitics you could imagine," ( The Evening Standard ), explains flags and their symbols—how their power is used to unite and divide populations and intimidate enemies. From the renewed sense of nationalism in China, to troubled identities in Europe and the USA, to the terrifying rise of Islamic State, the world is a confusing place right now and we need to understand the symbols, old and new, that people are rallying round. For thousands of years flags have represented our hopes and dreams. We wave them. Burn them. March under their colors. And still, in the twenty-first century, we die for them. Flags fly at the UN, on Arab streets, from front porches in Texas. They represent the politics of high power as well as the politics of the mob. In nine chapters (covering the USA, UK,... Shares insights into the symbolism and power of flags representing the beliefs of nations and non-state organizations, revealing how flags and the politics they represent unite and divide world populations First Published In Great Britain In 2016 By Elliott And Thompson Limited As: Worth Dying For: The Power And Politics Of Flags.