Reviews
With its in-depth details not only about the making of the song but its incorporation into American history and lives, this is a powerful pick for any interested in American or musical history.
... Ferris has accomplished something here that many would have probably thought impossible: he has made the "Star Spangled Banner" sound good, or at least interesting.
... fascinating account...
An engaging, conversational, and meticulously researched study of The Star-Spangled Banner over its 200-year history. Historians will find great insight into the importance of music as a tool for historical inquiry; musicologists will welcome a serious study of song; and general readers will gain a larger understanding of the way humans use national symbols to construct and reinforce identity.
Book Details
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. Anthem before a Nation, 1814–1860
2. American Dischord, 1860–1865
3. Striving to Reunify, 1865–1900
4. Duties and Customs, 1880–1910
5. Stars and Stripes Forever, 1890–1920
6
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. Anthem before a Nation, 1814–1860
2. American Dischord, 1860–1865
3. Striving to Reunify, 1865–1900
4. Duties and Customs, 1880–1910
5. Stars and Stripes Forever, 1890–1920
6. Marching under the Banner, 1898–1931
7. Trials and Triumphs, 1931–1954
8. Star-Spangled Conflict, 1954–1963
9. Postmodern Patriotism, 1964–2014
Epilogue
Appendix: The Original Words of The Star-Spangled Banner
Notes
Further Reading
Index