Picked up a great book the other day, American Flags: Designs For A Young Nation. It's amazing to see that something so iconic wasn't just created to be so, but was born of decades of hardship, adversity and hope. Seeing the physical manifestation of a Nation's symbol gives the flag a greater meaning and makes it all that much more powerful. Take it as you will, an icon with an array of meanings as diverse as the images portrayed in the book, the flag continues to tell a story far more complex than it's simplistic design. Stars, bars, union jacks, eagles, red, blue, green, yellow or purple, the flag represents more than a geographical location and stands as a visual biography for the little piece of land under its shadow.