A Flag Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of National Symbols

In this brisk, entertaining read, Marshall (Prisoners of Geography) successfully answers a puzzling question: how can a simple piece of cloth come to mean so much? Whether the flag flies the Stars and Stripes, the five rings of the Olympics, or the Jolly Roger, Marshall explores its origins and political significance. He attributes the importance of flags partially to the discovery of silk, which allowed them to flutter, not hang. But the meaning of a flag is in the eye of the beholder. The U.S. flag means liberty to American citizens, but oppression to the country’s detractors. Marshall pays particular attention to the significance of colors, which transcend borders: red for blood or struggle, white for peace and harmony, blue for the oceans, yellow for gold or wealth. In the Middle East, green stands for Islam. Flags can denote ideology, as in France and China. Modern hate groups appropriate symbols such as the Nazi swastika and the Confederacy’s Stars and Bars to make their extreme positions visible. Flags in the developing world, or for transnational organizations such as the UN and NATO, are often aspirational, expressing pride or hope for unification. Marshall presents an informative survey of these highly visible symbols of national or international pride. Agent: George Lucas, InkWell Management. (July)