In this paper the leading proponent of observing the flag as the centerpiece of the country’s civil religion explores how Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice-presidential candidate, embodied the archetypes of the female essence of America—Good Mother, the Woman Warrior, and the Sex Goddess—all juxtaposed with the American flag. The paper is extensively illustrated.

In the Soviet Union (1922-1991) small flags designed for and used by children were more than just toys. Deep scholarship and extensive illustrations of flags from the author’s collection show how such flags played a significant role in the socialization of Soviet children.

During the Revolutinalry War, ten states created their own navies, separate and distinct from the Continental Navy organized by Congress, to fight the British. Categorized into “blue water,” “brown water,” and “minor” navies, they played an important role in the Revolutionary War and the development of the nation’s early flags.

How could the flag of the chief of state of this Caribbean nation have been portrayed with the wrong color in otherwise-definitive flag books (such as Neubecker) for most of its history? The author shows how a misreading of the original description led to the use of a light blue field instead of the standard dark blue, and proposes an update to the design of the flag.

While the roots of the country’s ensigns lie in those of the United Kingdom, those of New Zealand have often “broken the mold” with a potpourri of tradition and originality. The article describes over a dozen ensigns ranging from the national flag to the Ministry of Transport ensign.