Complete Flags Of The World

by D.K. Publishing

Explore the world, flag by flag

From Antigua to New Zealand discover the flags of the world with this updated edition of Complete Flags of the World.

Learn all about flags from around the world - from the meaning behind country flags, national flags, world flags, state flags and naval flags to the meanings of flag symbols. Spanning geography, communications, politics, sport, history, culture, design and art, this is the ultimate book of flags, covering over 400 flags and flag history, explaining the widespread use and significance of flags and flag design. Each national flag is covered: detailed notes and annotations will tell you all about its history, design development, the significance of colours, symbols, crests and coats of arms and any recent changes.

Complete Flags of the World (previous ISBN 9781405333023) is the perfect guide to flags for the budding vexillophile.

Genres: Geography, Nonfiction, History, Reference, Politics, The World, Travel

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Dorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.

Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[evelyn]

yeah i just read this cover to cover x

[Casper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I know them all. Though I wish they covered more districts of countries like the Japanese prefecture flags

[MatildaWolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read overall; but the way that information was presented was inconsistent throughout the book due to the publishers seemingly only wanting one page per national flag. Therefore, sometimes we got the see previous flags and coat of arms for a country, and other times there's only basic text descriptions of them.

[Juan Cacho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buenísima recopilación de datos básicos de vexilología. No solo de las banderas de países si no de estados dentro de los mismos y otros organismos. 10/10 recomendado.

[Issam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for anyone interested in vexillology. The book shares the flags of the worlds as well as the arms of some countries, their meaning and all of its characteristics (type, colors,...), with a brief history of the country in question plus its location on the map.

[Jan Nieszporski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that performs its titular purpose really well but which is sorely lacking in the consistency department. That a project of this size and this goal does not begin with -- or at all include -- a clear definition of what it considers an actual, fully-fledged country and what it does not is frankly mindboggling. I mean this in the most politically neutral sense. This is by no means me saying I agree or disagree with the selection of countries highlighted in the main section of the book (especially because, to the book's full credit, it does end with a list of all the "disputed" territories around the world) -- it's just a genuine disbelief at the book not bothering to define its own selection specifications. You'd think that the most neutral way to do this would be to just include all UN-recognized countries within the main category and put all other places in the disputed category, but this book does not do that. It does not include the countries that are recognized by the country its publisher comes from, either. Again, I am not mad -- I am just very much confused why the authors did not bother to actually put forward any statement whatsoever.

To be fully clear: unless you're a really annoying nerd this complaint of mine is not something you would or should actually care about. The book is full of interesting insights into the flags and is presented in a very visually appealing way that is also easy to digest, which is all that it needs to actually do. But it'd feel dishonest for me not to mention this genuinely incomprehensible exclusion that, in my eyes, absolutely should be the very first thing that you see after opening the book.

As a sidenote that is not a criticism but an observation: between the flags of Syria and Afghanistan changing since the last edition (and the names of Turkey and Nauru changing!), this really will need an update sooner than later. It's also a shame that there isn't a section for "prominent historical flags" or something similar, because at several points the book references many contemporary flags being either inspired by or forming as a direct consequence of a single past flag (like that of the USSR or of Yugoslavia) which itself is not shown. It's not a big thing or anything, but I feel like it'd be more... holistic, I guess, to also include them.

Still, though: a really helpful and pleasant dive into the flags of the world that will, no doubt, satisfy anyone wanting to enjoy a quite comprehensive and accessible analysis of the topic at hand.

[Tarrant Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic insight into the world's flags, the only criticism is that I failed to find a pocket that this book fit into. Time I could have spent finding friends or not disappointing loved ones and not trying to fit this monolith into different pockets. A short coming of myself rather than the publisher.

[Audrianna Harbaruk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit outdated, but a simple google search will help you keep up with current times of flags, but it is an easy, simplistic book to start at if you want to learn about flags

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm trying but I am not going to remember all of these flags.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the flags, and how to read them.

[Nathan Mais · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was just a bunch of flags

[Wasi Rizvi]

It is a good book to be enjoyed with a child who is interested in flags.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good but it could have been way better!

I read it because I downloaded an app about geography quizzes and flags are an important part of the game. I thought that knowing a little more about the maps would have helped me remember more flags. And it did!

I like the explanation, the illustrations and the maps, although I know where 98% of the nations are located. I love the fact that it added some regional flags (not the Italian ones, though) and some coat of arms.

I absolutely hate when there was something written next to the flag and the very same thing was written in the next underneath. I hate repetition. I also hate when something was explained and there was no picture to illustrate it.

As a bathroom-reading it was perfect!

I'll probably buy the next edition if it will ever be published!

[Hotavio · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice reference guide or something to spare random glances at. The guide shares terminology, symbology, and history (along with differing versions) of flags.
The book serves as an annotated history of modern nations. It also features a few common non-national flags, but it this venue it is incomplete.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although some entries have more information than others, this is a good reference of world flags. It has a good uncluttered layout and nice reproductions of the flags in terms of size and color. I really liked that it had small maps of each nation (any book that discusses geography simply must have maps.) State and province maps are included.

[Arjun · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Complete Flags of the World" by D.K. Publishing is a visually stunning and comprehensive guide to flags from around the globe. With detailed illustrations and historical insights, it offers a captivating journey into the symbolism and meaning behind each flag. A must-have reference for anyone interested in vexillology and world cultures.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

370th - 2011

Indonesia baru muncul di halaman 212. Hm... apakah ada hubungannya dengan Kapak Naga Geni 212 atau malah Agen Polisi 212? *nggak nyambung.com*

Yang jelas, bersyukurlah negara kita memiliki bendera yang sederhana sehingga bocah batita pun dapat menggambarnya...

[Vämpiriüs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prima kniha pro každého, koho zajímá historie a symbolika vlajek. Navíc se u novějších vydání mohou určité detaily měnit neboť se všechno průběžně může změnit. Za mě aktuálně plus a rád se podívám i na starší verzi.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love flags, love this book. THe only knock is that they talk about a few older national flags for some countries but don't show them. I want to see them all!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few typos and no doubt soon to be out of date, but an absolutely wondrous read for any budding vexillologist. Personally, I'd love to see UK county flags included.

[Rudi Opperman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read the 2014 edition. It is well illustrated book with good information on all of the flags.

[Ian]

A wonderful resource