William G. Crampton (1936–1997)

The World of Flags is a fascinating and many-coloured one. Flags have been flown throughout history and in many different forms, from vexillums to feudal gonfalons, from ceremonial standards to ships' ensigns, and from military standards to political tri-colours. They have been used to signal the presence of a deity, to denote tribal allegiance, to mark conquests and achievements, to assert national identity and to represent groups and associations of all kinds. Flags are a language in themselves, and in The World of Flags, we learn to read and understand this age-old method of communication. Flags flutter daily into our lives. We fly them in sport and in politics, in competition and in civic pride. These areas of human activity are amply covered in this wholly new approach to the subject. The many meanings and many uses of flags worldwide and throughout history are fully explored. The reader can dip into the book, just to discover, for example, the heritage of the Stars and Stripes or the Union Jack; or to explore the meaning and history of flags of particular countries. Also included are pages on the flags of famous personages in history, on criticaI flag incidents; on the way flags are chosen by means of competition;. on flag families, such as the CentraI American Colours, the Pan-Arab Colours and many others. The reader is also introduced to the world of vexillology, the art and science of flag-study, pursued by a worldwide network of scholars. The author is one of the leading figures in this new discipline, which is open to all who want to take their studies further. This is a fully-illustrated book, with over 800 colour pictures, showing flags in every form, from postagestamps with flag images to full-size flying flags. The book aims to show how totally and widely flags permeate every aspect of life and how constantly they are referred to in everyday situations.
The World of Flags is not a fantasy into which we escape from reality. It is an inevitable but at the same time fascinating, colourful and exciting part of life; not just yesterday but also today, and hopefully it always will be. With this book to hand, the citizen of the world will be well on the way to becoming fully at home in The World of Flags.… (meer)