Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 The best May 21, 2008
One of the best flagbook thaht I have never seen! I reccomend it to pruchase all the world.
A slight correction of an earlier review July 12, 2006
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
In 2003, Mr David Hanlow reviewed this book, and -- for the most part -- did an admirable job admiring a very good book. But he made an egregious error. He wrote: "A saltire, i.e. the cross part in the British flag, is what is used to divide the flag into four parts..." He is not 100 percent accurate. Yes, the saltire IS a cross, but it is the "X-shaped" cross, as the white Cross of St. Andrew on a blue field, in the Scots flag. The white saltire DOES appear in the Union Jack -- the name of the British flag, for the union of Scotland and England, later joined by Ireland -- as a reference to Scotland, along with the main color of the Union Jack, blue, also referencing Scotland; superimposed on the white saltire is the red saltire of the Cross of St. Patrick, representing Ireland; the plus-sign shaped cross (+) that separates the Union Jack into four parts is the Cross of St. George, representing England. The English flag --a white field with red St. George Cross -- is recalled in the Union Jack by placing the red Cross of St George against a white cross. (Wales isn't included in the Union Jack because Wales had been annexed by England in the late 1200s)
Very colorful & well designed September 7, 2005
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The flags are all very colorful. The quality of the pages and colors are excellent. An excellent book for any age. Includes interesting information on political and historic flag related information.
A Flag Encyclopedia With Depth Dimension & Grace February 28, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
It isn't just that he gives all the flags of the world's contemporary countries as UN members, but he lists and depicts the 8 or 9 secessionists who are dba as independent countries, recognition or not, UN membership or not. If you know flag books, this is uncommon. We're also used to US state flags and just to show we're more international now we'll tolerate Canadian Provincial flags and the territories which make up the UK. But the states of not only Germany and Switz., not only all the new colorful and imaginative flags of Republics of the Russian Federation, but get this! Appearing for the first time north of the equator, the flags of the states of Brazil! Plus ALL of the UK's colonial flags (including BR. Antarctic Terr. with the Union Jack, a singular white field, and a penguin scrolly badge the Brits are so very fond of!). We're also treated to a plethora of very accurate renditions of historical flags of the world, including some of the Republics spawned by the French Revolution, an 1861 State of Louisiana which is incorrectly labeled (about 5 such entries are the only marring of an otherwise highly accurate and very informative book) but which when I saw it for the first time, I said, "no way--couldn't be" but it too is accurate. Plus 2 Confederate flags I had never before seen depicted. A landmark of publications on the subject, it will be the standard to adhere to or the volume to best for at least the next 20 years.
Must-have guide to flags and banners March 12, 2003
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
Alfred Znamierowski compiled this exhaustive work on flags, the meanings behind the colors, flag families, parts of flags, and flags of countries, states, organization, of revolution and politics. There are even some old heraldry flags from medieval times included.Some countries have flags of their states included, such as Australia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Russia's autonomous republics (Dagestan, Chechnya), and oh yes, the U.S. From looking at our states, it's disheartening to see how many states still have the Confederate flag or red saltire on them (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi).
The best thing about this book is how the colours and symbol of each country/province/state/canton's flag is explained. For example, Ireland has a tricolore of green, white, and orange vertical stripes. The green represents the Catholics, the orange the Protestants (as in William of Orange), and the white is for peace between both groups. Let's look at another tricolore, Guinea's red-yellow-green. The red is the blood/sacrifice of the people, the yellow is the gold of Guinea and the sun, and the green represents vegetation and agriculture. Isn't this useful? And most flag proportions are 2:3, but others are 1:2 (Latvia, Libya, Nigeria). And some are irregular. Belgium's flag is 13:15, Switzerland and its cantons are 1:1, Mexico is 4:7, and our own, 10:19. What about flag families? Then there are colours associated with certain movements. For example, green, yellow, and red are the Pan-African colours. Black, green, red, and white are the Pan-Arab colours. They represent the colour of the dynasties of the Islamic Empire (black for Abbasids, green for Fatimids, white for Umayyads, and red for Hashemites). Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria have flags with those colours. And with the breakup of Yugoslavia, all but Bosnia and Macedonia have the blue, white, and red Pan-Slav colours. The French tricolore has influenced many other countries' flags with its three vertical stripes. Romania, Italy, Belgium, Guinea, and Cote D'Ivoire. And it's no coincidence that all the Scandinavian countries have identical flags--they're based on the Scandinavian cross. Symbols are also explained. The Muslim crescent and star, a main symbol of Islam and mentioned in the 53rd surah of the Quran, is adopted by Turkey, Algeria, and Pakistan, for example. And writing. The writing on the Iraqi flag reads "God Is Great," which ironically is what is written 22 times in Sufic script along the Iranian flag. ... Parts of flags: this is an interesting one. Much of this is technical terms. The hoist is the first (left) vertical half, the fly is the right vertical half. Then there are charges (figures) For example, that upper rectangle of our flag is a canton. A saltire, i.e. the cross part in the British flag, is what is used to divide the flag into four parts. And the trapezium, a sideways trapezoid on the left part of a flag, is what Kuwait has. There are also flags of international organizations, such as the UN, Red Cross, or League of Arab States. Regional flags, flags of revoltution (Sandinistas, Viet Cong, FRELIMO) flags of ethnic people without nation-states (Kurds, Shans, Sorbs), and political flags are also included. Example: white is a monarchist flag, black is for anarchists, red is for socialists. And the Nazi flag spawned so many imitations, such as the Arrow Cross, Afrikaner Resistant Movement, and Fronte della Gioventu--all are red with a white circle and black symbol. This was updated in 2002, before East Timor gained independence, so much of this is up-to-date. Who knows, those inspired to create your own personal flag may take notes from this valuable reference work.
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