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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Liked the concept and learned a few things via some of the stories he included about the people involved in the history of each flag. However I just don't like his writing! The jokes aren't funny and there's always a bit of a pro-Western undertone in his books (though this one was more balanced than Prisoners of Geography). Certain factoids were repeated multiple times in chapters as if it hadn't been properly proofed - disappointing execution of an interesting topic!
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
(I received an advanced copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
This is a delightfully consumable work on the surprisingly rich and complex matter of flags and the identities that they stand for. Going from country to country to country, Marshall details the histories, faiths and ideologies behind the array of colors and symbols that mark the flags of today, providing an enjoyable information-packed punch for his readers.
This is a delightfully consumable work on the surprisingly rich and complex matter of flags and the identities that they stand for. Going from country to country to country, Marshall details the histories, faiths and ideologies behind the array of colors and symbols that mark the flags of today, providing an enjoyable information-packed punch for his readers.
informative
fast-paced
A mixed bag. Not as good as the first in this series, Prisoners of Geography.
The book covers the history of many of the world's flags - mostly those of countries, but also a few others such as the flags of the UN, the Olympics, and the rainbow flag of the LGBTQ+ community. Contrary to the title, it doesn't really effectively communicate why people find flags worth dying for, at least I didn't think so; then again, it isn't the flags themselves people typically die for anyway - it's what the flags represent, and often the friends fighting beside them for those same polities and principles.
It's not encyclopedic - quite a few countries are missing, as well as the past forms of the flags of the U.S. and other countries. Being American, I'd have liked it if the author had included state flags, too.
Beyond that, the tone is uneven; if I'd been the editor, I'd have toned down the fairly frequent injections of what could either be called snark or dad jokes. The author cracks himself up too often.
Even so, it's worth reading, because it is clearly well researched and contains quite a bit of information, not only showing and describing the flags of most of the world but giving the backstory of those flags, at least briefly.
Even so, I'm hoping that the rest of this series rises back to the level of Prisoners of Geography.
The book covers the history of many of the world's flags - mostly those of countries, but also a few others such as the flags of the UN, the Olympics, and the rainbow flag of the LGBTQ+ community. Contrary to the title, it doesn't really effectively communicate why people find flags worth dying for, at least I didn't think so; then again, it isn't the flags themselves people typically die for anyway - it's what the flags represent, and often the friends fighting beside them for those same polities and principles.
It's not encyclopedic - quite a few countries are missing, as well as the past forms of the flags of the U.S. and other countries. Being American, I'd have liked it if the author had included state flags, too.
Beyond that, the tone is uneven; if I'd been the editor, I'd have toned down the fairly frequent injections of what could either be called snark or dad jokes. The author cracks himself up too often.
Even so, it's worth reading, because it is clearly well researched and contains quite a bit of information, not only showing and describing the flags of most of the world but giving the backstory of those flags, at least briefly.
Even so, I'm hoping that the rest of this series rises back to the level of Prisoners of Geography.
After reading Marshall’s previous work, Prisoners of Geography, i was looking forward to this book, hoping for another blend of history, politics, culture written in Marshall’s easy and readable style.
And it definitely delivered on all those fronts. The stories about how national flags came to be, changed, and how they are thought about, delves deep into many areas, educating me in the process.
Books like this where you learn history as part of another topic appeal to me rather than pure history books.
Only reason I didn’t go for a five-star rating is that some chapters are naturally more interesting than others depending on ones taste. The chapter about African flags i found engrossing whereas the chapter about the UK less so, perhaps because of familiarity with the UK.
Thoroughly recommended though.
And it definitely delivered on all those fronts. The stories about how national flags came to be, changed, and how they are thought about, delves deep into many areas, educating me in the process.
Books like this where you learn history as part of another topic appeal to me rather than pure history books.
Only reason I didn’t go for a five-star rating is that some chapters are naturally more interesting than others depending on ones taste. The chapter about African flags i found engrossing whereas the chapter about the UK less so, perhaps because of familiarity with the UK.
Thoroughly recommended though.
Scrapes a three because some of the histories of the flag were interesting. However I could have just got an encyclopedia Of flags for that. I failed to find the “sharp analysis” promised by the review on the cover. Some of the histories were unclear and the Flags Of Fear Chapter by just focusing on Islam flags came across as biased. This is a pity as understanding these symbols is important. Overall failed to live up to the concept. As an aside the Edition I read was printed on what felt like heavier paper than normal for a paperback. Personally I found it made the book quite stiff and harder to read.
I don't think I'll ever look at a flag again without wondering about the story behind its creation.
Going to preface this by saying I’ve always been interested in flags. If you are not (and for some reason bought this book) it’s probably not for you. However, it did serve as a pretty efficient crash course on the history of some of the regions covered. The narration is engaging and I was never really bored. As someone who barely reads nonfiction that’s pretty much all I am looking for.
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced