The Story of the British Flag

Known the world over as a symbol of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack is an intricate construction based on the crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick. In 'The Union Jack', Nick Groom traces the flag's long and fascinating past, from the development of the Royal Standard and seventeenth-century clashes over the composition of the first Union Jack to the modern controversies over the flag as a symbol of empire and its exploitation by extreme political groups. Written at a time when the union between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has never been weaker, 'The Union Jack' is the first history of the icon used by everone from the royalty and the military to athletes and celebrities.