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 and the mob. From the renewed perception of nationalism in China to the identity crisis in Europe and America and the terrifying rise of Islam, the world is now a confusing place, and it is truly important to understand the symbols—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 divide us.