Star-spangled banner
Subtitle: the unlikely story of America's national anthem
By: Marc Ferris
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 302
ISBN-13: 9781421415185
Subjects: History and criticism; Star-spangled banner (Song); National songs
Other titles: Story of America's national anthem
Description: "In September, 2014, Baltimore and the United States will mark the bicentennial of the event that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner." But Francis Scott Key's poem, set to a British drinking song, has not always been our anthem, nor even especially popular. Aiming at a broad readership, Ferris examines the history of the song through the generations that followed the War of 1812, the kinds of Americans who rallied behind the song, and the successful lobbying effort that in 1933 convinced Congress to adopt the music and four stanzas as our official national anthem. Since then many citizens have called for its replacement with something less warlike; people quarrel over its apparent militarism and also difficulty level. Politically, Ferris finds, the song has an interesting and somewhat tortured story. Are we the only nation on earth with a controversial national anthem?"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Anthem before a nation, 1814-1860; title: American dischord, 1860-1865; title: Striving to reunify, 1865-1900; title: Duties and customs, 1880-1910; title: Stars and stripes forever, 1890-1920; title: Marching under the banner, 1898-1931; title: Trials and triumphs, 1931-1954; title: Star-spangled consensus, 1954-1963; title: Postmodern patriotism, 1964-2014.