Despite it being 27 years old (and as a result, having a number of now-obsolete flags in it's world flags segment), Dr. Smith has made a wonderful book of flag history, definitions, and other information for those folks like me who are intrigued by flags. This book (taking into account it's age) is by far the best reference book on flags that I now have. Thank you, Dr. Smith.

I just bought this classic in first-rate condition from a used/rare bookseller two weeks ago. What a treasure it is! It is a joy to behold, to browse, to read. The author's writing style is a bit ponderous, but that's acceptable in view of the wealth of information that he offers. The book does need updating: it's missing some information that I have in some other vexillology books (e.g., Znamierowski and Crampton) and contains a couple of subtle errors. But this criticism does nothing to dissuade me from endorsing it most highly. It's terrific!

I have owned this book since it first was published, and I love it. I read it cover to cover about once a year. It is factual, accurate, comprehensive and beautiful. The histories of several nations' flags makes me want more of the same for more countries and their flags. A section on the flags of Japanese provinces was the first time I had ever seen flags like that, which display the influence of Oriental art. But so much has changed in the last 25 years. New countries have been born; old countries have changed (and sometimes rechanged) their flags. I don't know if Dr. Smith is still alive; but couldn't someone update and enlarge the scope of this book? I know I would pay as much as $100 for a new edition -- IF it were as good as this edition is.

Whitney Smith, Director of the Flag Research Center, compiled information from the 50 states to produce the most authoritative history of state flags ever written. It is the only source of information on the design of the flags no longer in use by the various states. The history of the Stars and Stripes is also traced. The large, clear illustrations were produced specifically for this book by heraldic artist Alfred Znamerowski.

Ages 8 and older will find Flag Lore For All Nations an excellent reference which covers the histories of flags in nations around the world. Each small color flag is accompanied by a paragraph of background on the date it first flew and the meaning behind its colors.

"On A Street Called Easy, in a Cottage called Joye" is an easy and entertaining read, with short chapters perfect for the ride on the subway, or a break between tasks. A close parallel to "A Year In Provence", which is referenced by the authors, the story is essentially a humorous take on the gentry's lament "you can't get good help these days", but the biggest difference is that while "A Year..." is heavily slanted towards food, "A Street..." is almost entirely about the travails of renovating a wreck. It is after all, set in the deep (if it ain't fried, it ain't cooked)south, this is NOT Provence.
The "true" story follows its two, pullitzer prize winning authors as they leave their dark, viewless, Manhattan condo and set out for Aiken, S.C., where they've bought(for quite a bit less than the original million+ asking price) a sixty room mansion built in 1897 by WC Whitney, as the gilded age began to flicker to a close. Through neglect, the house is an absolute mess. The crew hired to bring it back to its glory is pretty much a mess as well. From the holdover-joint-toking hippie that makes off with the only, working-order copper piping to sell for scrap, to the tile man who wants to be paid for time he'd requested to hang out (doing nothing)while the tile arrived, to the maid who spends all day dusting 3 rooms, only to be discovered sleeping whenever the bosses are away. You can't leave this crew a for a second, as they discover towards the end, in a scene that will leave wine lovers heart broken. The problem is, as with "A year in Provence", the owners seem to have a bottomless pocketbook, and always seem to have a check to write to cover whatever goes wrong. And EVERYTHING goes wrong. This eventually takes away from the believability, especially when combined with the patience of Job that the two men seem to display, endlessly, towards what are essentially ne'er do wells and lowlifes posing as contractors. Ah, well. You do learn a bit about the Whitneys, the house in its better days, Aiken in its better days, and the more recent days. All in all a worthwhile read.

Can you begin to imagine two authors of brutal true crime stories, undertaking a project such as remodeling an old 60 room mansion? And can you believe their moving from their home in Manhatten to Aiken, SC? They write of their trials and tribulations, in such a manner, you wipe tears of joy and tears of frustration and sorrow for them. And all the time the reconstruction and renovations are taking place, they are constantly meeting friends and neighbors; while they are trying to hire someone for this project or that project. You celebrate with them over each accomplishment. By the time they finish the renovations, you can 'hear' the music filtering through the wing of the home where all of the parties will be held. Such excitement in the air. I am fortunate enough to live close to this location and took a trip over and found Joye Cottage! Absolutely breathtaking.... wish I could tour the inside.

I was given the BOOK version of this several years ago by a dear friend and honestly, I have read and re-read this book several times. The first time that I got it, I actually read it out loud to my husband while we were working on our own version of "Joy Cottage." We both roared with laughter!

Having moved to the South from the West Coast, I understood totally what Mr. White-Smith encountered! From Irish Travelers to the local restaurant that produces vegetables that have had every last trace of nutritional content boiled out of them, collard greens, fat back and fat light (it is vital that you know the difference: one is used to light fires and one is put in with your collards!),pepper sauce, sweet tea (cavities be damned!) to Moon Pies, Krispy Kremes, speech from people that you swear aren't speaking English, painters that can't paint, roofers that drink way too much, Nandina, Magnolias and Smilack at Christmas (I hope that I spelling the last one correctly!) and on and on and on. If you live in the South (especially if you are a transplant) and most especially if you live in or have redone an old house, this is the book for you!

As I said, I have re-read this book several times and I still find myself laughing hysterically. It is a great book that I am terribly sorry is out of print. Until it comes back into its second printing, the audio version will suffice. I wish they would do a "Part II" version...

A MUST read!

The book is excellent if you enjoy coloring. It is also educational in terms of the factual correctness of the flags. Simply a greeat educational tool. Well worth the price!!

I was an English major and have been a teacher for 16 years, so when I throw away a book, there's a problem. The little girl in the story, Whitney, gets so involved in her activities or her imagination that she sometimes doesn't hear her parents calling her. When the family goes to an amusement park, her parents accidentally leave her there. The book is written from the "real-life family episode" of a Christian singer, Michael Smith and his wife. They have 5 children, so you could see how they might leave one at an amusement park. My problem is that when they go back and find the child, it is Whitney who has to apologize to her parents for not "paying attention". The parents NEVER apologize to the girl for leaving her in a frightening situation and not arriving back to pick her up until it is night time and the park is closed. I am active in my church and teach Sunday school, so the parents' prayers for Whitney's protection and safety are fine with me. I just think they should have told her they were sorry they didn't keep her protected and safe themselves. That's the parents' job, after all. I would have preferred a book that, in the end, showed the parents' admitting they weren't perfect rather than putting the responsibility for a very scary experience onto the child. If there were a zero stars rating, I'd give it to this book.

A simple yet engaging tale of a family reunion which decides to go to an amusement park. Whitney does not pay attention and . . . well the story goes from there. My son loved the illustrations and the story was right on his level ( 4-5 year old). There actually is a religious end to the story, but considering the author, I thought God would be mentioned more.