Tim Marshall is a leading authority on foreign affairs with more than 25 years of reporting experience. He was diplomatic editor at Sky News, and before that worked for the BBC and LBC/IRN radio. He has reported from 30 countries and covered conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Israel. His blog Foreign Matters was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2010. He has written for The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Independent and Daily Telegraph, and is the author of Shadowplay: The Overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic (a bestseller in former Yugoslavia), “Dirty Northern B*st*rds!” and Other Tales from the Terraces: The Story of Britain’s Football Chants (E&T, 2014) and Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics (E&T, 2015). He is founder and editor of the current affairs site TheWhatandtheWhy.com.

• CONTENTS; Introduction 1; 1 The Stars and the Stripes 9; 2 The Union and the Jack 33; 3 The Cross and the Crusades 57; 4 Colours of Arabia 95; 5 Flags of Fear 121; 6 East of Eden 143; 7 Flags of Freedom 173; 8 Flags of Revolution 195; 9 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 223; Bibliography 253; Acknowledgements 258; Index 259

"Full of sharp analysis and a very entertaining read" --Andrew Neil; "A fascinating tour of the world's ensigns, their histories and meanings ... a sobering lesson in just how silly we human beings can be" --Daily Mail; "Timely ... explores how the threads of history and legend are woven into the fabric of a country's banner" - Times Literary Supplement; "This might be the comprehensive flag volume we've all been waiting for - a slick yet detailed and well-researched journey through some of the world's most infamous and interesting flags ... Marshall guides us through this myriad of stories admirably" - Geographical magazine; "Insightful and entertaining ... a truly fascinating book that feels all the more considered and urgent in today's world of Brexit, Trump, China and ISIS"--Dan Lewis, Wanderlust magazine; "Marshall points out that we often forget the aggressive symbolism of established flags ... [they] are a quick, visual way of communicating loyalties, power and ideas"--Robbie Millen, The Times; "An engagingly written, veritable page-turner. Whether the topic is ethnic identity, Japanese imperialism, Panamanian shipping law or the defeat of Nazism, flags speak volumes about our human condition" -- Lawrence Joffe, Jewish Chronicle; "In today's globalised and media savvy environment, the role of state and non-state symbols has become more important and in many cases more dangerous and evocative. This witty book brings to our attention this power, alongside the reality that we must not underestimate or misunderstand how the flags of our world came to be. A must read for anyone wishing to grasp the meanings behind today's international affairs." --Human Security Centre