Tim Marshall: ‘Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags’

For thousands of years, flags have been the visual representation of our hopes and our destinies. We wave them, burn them, march under their colours and still, in the 21st century, we die for them. From the UN to the streets of Arab states to front porches in Texas, flags remain highly emotive. They represent the politics of high power and the politics of the mob. Many have hidden histories that still inform the present, representing what a nation thinks it is, or wants to be.

From troubled identities in Europe and the United States, to the carefully constructed flag of Islamic State, the world is a confusing place right now and we need to understand the symbols, old and new, that people are rallying round.

The Henry Jackson Society is pleased to invite you to an event with Tim Marshall, former Diplomatic Editor, Sky News and author of Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags. Marshall will be discussing flags both past and present, offering his insight into the symbols that continue to unite and divide us, and showing how flags relate to everything from a renewed Chinese nationalism to identity politics in the West.

Tim Marshall is a leading authority on foreign affairs with more than 25 years of reporting experience. He was diplomatic editor at Sky News, and before that worked for BBC and LBC/IRN radio. Tim has reported from 30 countries and covered conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Israel. His blog Foreign Matters was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2010. He has written for The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Independent and Daily Telegraph, and is the author of a number of books and released ‘Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags’ in September 2016. He is founder and editor of the current affairs site TheWhatandtheWhy.com