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Building a Basic Flag Library

In a 2018 survey NAVA members were asked to name the most important books a vexillologist should own.  This bibliography reflects their consensus.  (The order reflects the frequency of mentions.)

 

Number  Title Author(s) Date
1 Flags Through the Ages and Across the World Whitney Smith 1975
2 The World Encyclopedia of Flags Alfred Znamierowski 1999
3 Good Flag, Bad Flag Ted Kaye  2006, 2020
4 Flags of the World E.M.C. Barraclough & William G. Crampton (editors) (various editions from 1965)
5 A Flag Worth Dying For Tim Marshall 2017
6 Complete Flags of the World [Dorling Kindersley] (various editions)
7 Flag: An American Autobiography Marc Leepson 2006
8 So Proudly We Hail: The History of the United States Flag Rear Admiral William Rea Furlong & Commodore Byron McCandless; Harold D. Langley (editor) 1981
9 American City Flags John Purcell, et al; Edward B. Kaye (editor) 2004
10 Das Große Flaggenbuch Ottfried Neubecker 1939 & 1992 facsimile
11 Native American Flags / Flags of the Native Peoples of the United States Don Healy & Peter Orenski; Edward B. Kaye (editor) 2003 / 1997
12  The Stars and The Stripes: The American Flag as Art and as History from the Birth of the Republic to the Present Boleslaw Mastai & Marie-Louise D'Otrange Mastai 1973
13  Flags of the World: With 1,197 Flags in Full Colors & 300 Additional Illustrations in Black and White Byron McCandless & Gilbert Grosvenor (National Geographic Magazine) 1917
14 Flags at Sea Timothy Wilson  1986 & 1999
15 The Symbols, Standards, Flags, and Banners of Ancient and Modern Nations George Henry Preble 1894 & 1980 facsimile
16 The Flag Book of the United States Whitney Smith 1970 & 1975 

 

 

In a 1999 survey NAVA members were asked to recommend which books should be included as a foundation for any well-rounded flag library.  This bibliography reflects their consensus.  (The order reflects the frequency of mentions.) 

 

Number  Title Author(s) Date
1 Flags Through the Ages and Across the World Whitney Smith 1975
2 The World Encyclopedia of Flags Alfred Znamierowski 1999
3 The Flag Book of the United States Whitney Smith 1970 & 1975
4 So Proudly We Hail: The History of the United States Flag
Rear Admiral William Rea Furlong & Commodore Byron McCandless; Harold D. Langley (editor)
 1981
5 The Stars and The Stripes: The American Flag as Art and as History from the Birth of the Republic to the Present Boleslaw Mastai & Marie-Louise D'Otrange Mastai 1973
6 Flags of the World E.M.C. Barraclough & William G. Crampton Ph.D. (editors) (various editions from 1965)
7 Flags of the World: With 1,197 Flags in Full Colors & 300 Additional Illustrations in Black and White Byron McCandless & Gilbert Grosvenor (National Geographic Magazine) 1917
8 Flags of the Native Peoples of the United States Donald T. Healy 1997
9 Standards and Colors of the American Revolution Edward W. Richardson 1982
10 Flags of the Confederacy—An Illustrated History Devereaux D. Cannon Jr. 1988
11 Ultimate Pocket Flags of the World Siobhán Ryan (editor) 1997
12 Thirteen-Star Flags: Keys to Identification Grace Rogers Cooper 1973
13 Flag (Eyewitness Books) William G. Crampton 1989
14 Various national flag books William G. Crampton (editor) various
15 Das Große Flaggenbuch Ottfried Neubecker 1939 & 1992 facsimile
16 Flags and Arms Across the World Whitney Smith 1980
17 Flags at Sea Timothy Wilson 1986 & 1999
18 Guide to the Flags of the World Mauro Tolocci; Whitney Smith (editor) 1982
19 The History of the United States Flag from the Revolution to the Present, Including a Guide to Its Use and Display Milo M.Quaife, Melvin J. Weig, & Roy E. Appleman 1961
20 Flags of American History David D. Crouthers 1962 & 1978