Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Tim presents a good read on flags and the meaning behind them. I came to this book after reading prisoners of geography. Unfortunately this book didn't capture the same level of interest for me.
I liked the exploration of the significance of flag colours to each continent. I think I remember more flags now just from the explanations of the symbolic significance.
informative
medium-paced
Marshall makes certain bizarre claims and conclusions in the book, which is explained (but perhaps not excused) by his background as a prominent reporter at major British news networks. Reporting on contemporary conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe does not a global foreign affairs 'authority' make; at most he is an expert on contemporary geopolitics on the areas he specialises in. This is made clear by the lengthy chapters on Europe and the US (a whole chapter on the US and another dedicated to the Union Jack), while the chapters on Asian, African and Latin American countries betrayed a dearth of knowledge on these areas. His career as a reporter, and the perspectives he adopted during this time, is best reflected in his 2 chapters on the Middle East, where 1 chapter was on flags of Middle Eastern countries and the other lists out flags of terrorist/violent organisations where rather inexplicably all are based in the Middle East, and Palestinian organisations take up a good half of the chapter; it mirrors how major British news networks view and categorise Middle Eastern politics. Regardless, this was a decent introduction to the history and meaning behind flags; though I am of the opinion that this is best left as only an introduction.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
funny
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
A good read on the symbolism, history, and culture behind the world's use of flags. Gave me a new appreciation for the potency of symbolic representation and its place in national/cultural discourse.
informative
medium-paced
This book is interesting at times, but compared to previous books I found this a lot drier, making it more difficult to keep reading. A die-hard flag fan might appreciate this book more. Other than that, the book does provide many fascinating insights into the political messages and history behind the designs of flags.