From the renewed sense of nationalism in China to troubled identities in Europe and the USA, to the terrifying rise 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 around. For thousands of years, flags have represented our hopes and dreams. We wave them. Burn them. March under their colors. And still, in the twenty-first century, we die for them. Flags fly at the UN, on Arab streets, from front porches in Texas. They represent the politics of high power as well as the politics of the mob. In nine chapters covering the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America, international flags, and flags of terror, Tim Marshall examines the systems of symbols that represent nation states and non-state actors (including ISIS, Hezbollah, and Hamas) and how they figure in diplomatic relations and events today.