Showcasing the largest personal collection of American flags, father and son team Peter and Kevin Keim tell the history of the United States through the development of the American flag, highlighting the myths and facts behind the Stars and Stripes, and the people behind its creation.

The Nation turns to it as an emotional, political, and patriotic symbol in good times and bad. Americans fly it everywhere we live and everywhere we go, from front porches in Florida to pickup trucks in Alaska. We display the red-white-and-blue American flag at festive events to celebrate and, at times of national tragedy, to grieve and show our resolve. We wrap ourselves in it in displays of patriotism, politics, nationalism, and jingoism.

The American flag has always been a powerful symbol of national pride and a prominent way for citizens to express their patriotism. But despite honorable intentions, many of us are not familiar with the rules that govern the use of our flag. In the straightforward, informative voice that has made them a vital resource for readers across the country, the editors of SharpMan.com have set forth the proper way to: Hang the Flag, Carry the Flag, Clean the Flag, Fold the Flag, Store the Flag, Dispose of the Flag. In addition you'll learn fun, useful flag facts and the history of the Red, White, and Blue: How is the American salute to the flag unusual? Has the U.S. government ever paid its bill to the designer of our flag? Should you wear a flag on your T-shirt? The answers to these questions, and so much more, can be found in this book. Book jacket.

The American flags of our forefathers were beautifully handmade objects that expressed in both craft and design the patriotic sentiments of their makers. "American Flags" presents 70 shining examples of these masterpieces of popular art, with a short, readable essay that gives the history of the flag. 70 illustrations.

Our national anthem celebrates it. Patriots wave it. Politicians of all kinds try to wrap themselves in it. It is saluted at baseball games, in parades, and on the most solemn of commemorative occasions. It was salvaged in the first hours following the dreadful events of September 11, and it stands outstretched just above the surface of the moon. It is, of course, the American flag, and there are few symbols as potent. With all the reverence and sacrifice and emotion it inspires, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that it is ultimately just a symbol. Why is it so powerful? Why does a piece of cloth resonate so loudly for so many? Why a flag, and why this flag, these stripes, those stars? In For Which It Stands, his timely, comprehensive, and engaging "biography" of the American flag, Michael Corcoran examines those questions and more as he explores the evolution of our most cherished emblem, from the days preceding the Revolution through the nationwide resurgence of patriotism in the aftermath of September 11. Corcoran traces the entire life of the colors, holding forth on a number of engrossing topics, including: #149; The fluid design of the flag, the subject of much contentious debate on the part of the founding fathers, and until fairly recently, not officially codified. #149; The various alternative flags ingrained in the national consciousness, among them the defiant, rattlesnake-adorned "Don't Tread on Me" banner and the "Stars and Bars" of the Confederacy. #149; The role of the colors in war, from how to start a fight with England (raising a flag declaring indepen-dence, high enough for the British Army in Boston to see it, ought to do the trick) to the question of whether to remove from the banner the stars emblematic of the states that seceded during the Civil War, to the giddy ubiquity of the flag following World War II. Corcoran addresses all these matters and more (including the particularly vexing questions raised by flag burning: Is it such an affront that it warrants a constitutional amendment outlawing that method of protest, or is it perhaps the single most potent expression of our right to free speech, and therefore profoundly American?) as he delves into the wind-tangled history of "Old Glory," an entertaining jumble of much-loved myth and obscure facts. Thoughtful, droll, and fast-paced, For Which It Stands definitively tells the story of America's most recognizable icon, from Bunker Hill to Iwo Jima to Tranquillity Base -- and beyond.

A must-have third revised and newly expanded edition of the only single reference source for information about state symbols with over 300 information updates and three new chapters. Copyright #169; Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

The Flag, the Poet and the Song: The Story of the Star-Spangled BannerDESCRIPTION: Americans have long stood to salute the flag and sing the national anthem, but in the wake of September 11, it has become more than a ritual at the beginning of a baseball game. Our flag has been on proud display in nearly every home, car, and shop window across the country and our national anthem has never been more popular. Despite this resurgence in patriotism, few know the real story behind "The Star Spangled Banner"-neither the song nor the flag that inspired it. In this remarkable book, New York Times reporter Irvin Molotsky tells the story of what really inspired Francis Scott Key, a Washington lawyer, to pen this historic ode. Brimming with fascinating Americana, The Flag, the Poet and the Song, brings historical events and figures, both legendary and unknown-from the flag's seamstress to the military heroes of the War of 1812-to vivid life. In witty, accessible language and brimming with little known facts, Molotsky gives readers a book to be read and reread.

1. "Osprey History."
   
2. Includes Union, Confederacy, state and volunteer flags of the United States Civil War.