What do you feel when you see your nation's flag waving? For thousands of years, flags have represented hopes and dreams. We raise them. We burn them. We march under their colors. And even in the 21st century, we die for them.

They represent the politics of the powerful as well as the mob. From the renewed perception of nationalism in China to the identity crisis in Europe and America, and the frightening rise of Islam, the world is now a confusing place, and it is truly important to understand the symbols—both new and old—for which people fight.

In nine chapters covering America, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Tim Marshall shares more than twenty-five years of experience in global reporting and reveals the stories, power, and beliefs of the symbols that unite and simultaneously divide us.

Marshall reminds us that we often forget the powerful symbolism of flags. They are a brief visual way of communicating faith, power, and ideas.