A Flag Worth Dying for

A Flag Worth Dying for by Tim Marshall

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).

Tim Marshall's first 'episode' occurred when he was 22 years old and resulted in him being hospitalized for a week. The diagnosis was hypomania. He was prescribed medication but after persevering for a while, found it deadened his mood and he soon took himself off the medication, which resulted in a relapse.

Thus began Tim's real struggle.

Tim's passion was frequenting bookshops with a keen eye for anything of a metaphysical nature. Tim learnt many meditation techniques and these played a pivotal role in his recovery from an 'episode'.

One thing remained constant. Tim always carried with him on his travels a pocket sized notebook and would jot down observations, musings and drawings. He was encouraged to keep a journal and began writing poems.

It was Tim's wish to write a book in order to help fellow sufferers. He felt strongly this need to help people. After the diagnosis of an aggressive sarcoma in 2009, Tim was feeling the pressure to write his book.

Sadly, time ran out and In Gratitude to Pegasus has been published posthumously, as per Tim's wish to help fellow sufferers.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781501168345
ISBN 10	1501168347
Title	A Flag Worth Dying for
Author	Tim Marshall
Series	Politics Of Place
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Simon & Schuster
Year published	2018-06-12
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable