A Flag Worth Dying For by Tim Marshall chronicles the development of flags over time as part of the national, regional, and international identity for countries, organizations, and coalitions. Whether the flag projects an image of fear or racist ideology (the Nazi flag) or simply looks like a country, flags are a part of a nation’s identity and have a story on how they developed.
Marshall provides a well-researched look at flags in nine chapters, starting with America’s own flag history and meandering around the globe before ending with a look at pirate flags, the LGBT banner, and the United Nations flag. Many flags look similar to each other. and Marshall discusses how each nation or cause crafted their identity, similar to their neighbors in many parts of the world, and why the particular color scheme or coat of arms (or their choice of arms in one country’s case) was chosen for each particular flag. In all, Marshall covers over eighty different nations in his book.
If you have an interest in geography, history, politics, or the world at large, this book is for you and will provide the answer to the question of “Why did that country choose THAT for their flag?”
MY RATING - 4
