A collection of 8 patriotic photos -- most of them include pre-school age children and the flag -- accompany the text of the Star Spangle Banner.

A New York Times Editors' Choice The fascinating story of America’s national anthem and an examination of its powerful meaning today. Most Americans learn the tale in elementary school: During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key witnessed the daylong bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry by British navy ships; seeing the Stars and Stripes still flying proudly at first light, he was inspired to pen his famous lyric. What Americans don’t know is the story of how this everyday “broadside ballad,” one of thousands of such topical songs that captured the events and emotions of early American life, rose to become the nation’s one and only anthem and today’s magnet for controversy. In O Say Can You Hear? Mark Clague brilliantly weaves together the stories of the song and the nation it represents. Examining the origins of both text and music, alternate lyrics and translations, and the song’s use in sports, at times of war, and for political protest, he argues that the anthem’s meaning reflects—and is reflected by—the nation’s quest to become a more perfect union. From victory song to hymn of sacrifice and vehicle for protest, the story of Key’s song is the story of America itself. Each chapter in the book explores a different facet of the anthem’s story. In one, we learn the real history behind the singing of the anthem at sporting events; in another, Clague explores Key’s complicated relationship with slavery and its repercussions today. An entire is chapter devoted to some of the most famous performances of the anthem, from Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock to Roseanne Barr at a baseball game to the iconic Whitney Houston version from the 1991 Super Bowl. At every turn, the book goes beyond the events to explore the song’s resonance and meaning. From its first lines Key’s lyric poses questions: “O say can you see?” “Does that banner yet wave?” Likewise, Clague’s O Say Can You Hear? raises important questions about the banner; what it meant in 1814, what it means to us today, and why it matters.

Americans have become blinded by fear and our government seems incapable of a vision beyond 90 days. Can't you see? We have failed to counter the rise of powerful foreign economies. Lacking concern for America's future and middle class, the wealthy have piled up excessive personal wealth, causing a shrinking middle class. Lawmakers overregulated our country with uniformity that stole America's unique spirit of adventure, individual freedom and personal responsibility. In politics, polarization is king. Professional demagogues succeeded in stirring up more hate for the opposite side of the political aisle than for America's real enemies. Compromise used to be smart business; now it is considered a weakness or act of betrayal. Stubborn ideology, once an impractical trait is now a virtue of strong character. Many countries (and fascist groups) use our weaknesses to their advantage. We've got it all wrong. Americans need to work together if we hope to induce positive change both here and abroad. Most Americans sense signs of decay but can't put the finger on the causes, let alone solutions. It is not easy to see the forest for the trees. This book makes that job easier.

Lyrics to the United States national anthem are accompanied by flaps to lift revealing information about the song's origins, national monuments, the history of the flag, and the Pledge of Allegiance, along with a CD of ten patriotic songs.

This picture book celebrates and explains America's symbols, landmarks, and important words in lively brief text and bright, humorous illustrations. There are stars-and-stripes T-shirts. There are Statue of Liberty pencil sharpeners. There's an eagle on our money and Uncle Sam Halloween costumes. Symbols are everywhere...but where do they come from? What do they mean? How does something become a symbol? This celebration of twenty of America's important places, interesting objects, and inspiring words is for the youngest Americans. Each symbol is decribed on a two-page spread that is decorated with fun, bright pastels. Plymouth Rock, the White House, Ellis Island, Mount Rushmore, the flag, the eagle, Uncle Sam, the national anthem, and

Everywhere you look in Hawai'i, you might see the military. And yet, in daily life few residents see the military at all -- it is hidden in plain sight. This paradox of invisibility and visibility is the subject of Oh, Say, Can You See?, which maps the power relations involving gender, race, and class that define Hawai'i in relation to the national security state. Authors Kathy E. Ferguson and Phyllis Turnbull locate and "excavate" cemeteries, memorials, monuments, and museums, to show how the military constructs its gendered narrative upon prior colonial discourses. Among the sites considered are Fort DeRussy, Pearl Harbor, and Punchbowl Cemetery. This semiotic investigation of ways the military marks Hawai'i necessarily explores the intersection of immigration, colonialism, military expansion, and tourism on the islands. Attending to the ways in which the military represents itself and others represent the military, the authors locate the particular representational elements that both conceal and reveal the military's presence and power.