Seventh Flag - by Sid Balman (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>A sweeping work of historical fiction, <em>Seventh Flag</em> is a Micheneresque parable that traces the arc of radicalization in modern Western Civilization--reaffirming what it means to be an American in a dangerously divided nation.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br>The US and Europe have unraveled since World War II and radicalism has metastasized into every community, tearing away the decency, optimism, and security that shaped those robust democracies for more than eight decades. No place is immune, including the small West Texas town of Dell City, where four generations of an iconic American family and a Syrian Muslim family carve a farming empire out of the unforgiving high desert. These families' partnership is as unlikely as the idea of a United States, and their powerful friendship can be traced back to a bloody knife fight in a Juarez cantina just after World War II. The bond forged that night between Jack Laws, an Irish American who staked his claim in West Texas after the war, and Ali Zarkan, whose great-grandfather sailed from the Middle East to Texas in the mid-1800s as part of President Franklin Pierce's attempt to create the US Army Camel Corps, shapes each generation of the families as they come of age and adapt to shifting paradigms of gender, commerce, patriotism, loyalty, religion, and sexuality. From the beaches of the Western Pacific to the battlefields of the Middle East and from the lawless streets of Juarez to the darkest corners of the Internet, the two families fight real and perceived enemies--journeying, as they do, through the football fields of Texas and West Point, the hippie playgrounds of Asia, the music halls of Austin, the terrorist cells of Europe and the political backrooms where fortunes are gained or lost over the rights to Western water. Underlying their experiences is the basic question of what constitutes identity and citizenship in America, or in Texas, a land over which six flags have flown. The seventh flag, ultimately, is not one of a state or a nation, but of a mosaic of cultures, religions, and people from every corner of the world--all struggling to define what it means to be unified under an ambiguous banner.<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"<i>Seventh Flag</i> tells a tough-as-Texas multigenerational story. A must-read . . . a fun, white-knuckle ride that has honest tension and high stakes . . . extremely engaging. Balman expertly guides readers through the paths that people take to become evil, and the horrific choices that must be made to fight loved ones who have tread that path. A soul-searching read that should make people think twice about what our conscience and families might ask of us in the end." --Jef Rouner, <i>The Houston Chronicle</i> "What made this book stand out was the core belief that 'we are all Americans' together in this battle against extremism, racial bigotry, and hate, in whatever form it may take. Despite the powerful, overarching moral concepts of the novel, the author has managed to deliver an exciting, action-packed story of courage, selflessness, and duty that impresses. I finished reading with a feeling of satisfaction and completion, and that's possibly the highest compliment I can pay the author. I highly recommend this book. --Grant Leishman, <i>Readers' Favorite</i> (5-star review) "At precisely the moment when our diverse and multiethnic nation needs a spiritual lift, Sid Balman gives us a portrait of the complex racial and generational relations that define who we really are as Americans. You can smell the creosote of the desert and taste the huevos rancheros in this tale of West Texas . . . a splendid account of what being American is all about, a rich portrait useful to us all. . . . The book Donald Trump doesn't want you to read." --Mike McCurry, former White House Press Secretary "Sid Balman's story comes alive through sympathetic characters and descriptions of places so nuanced I imagined I could almost feel again the scratchy grey wool of the West Point uniform. Anyone paying attention to the global struggle with radicalism will come away with a much keener understanding of the humans who fall prey, the context that claims them, and the necessity to tackle this challenge with more finesse than we currently muster." --Kimberly C. Field, Brigadier General USA (ret.), West Point 1986, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization "<i>Seventh Flag</i> is a book about pluralism. It's also a book about the tensions increasingly found in pluralistic societies, and about the plague of violent radicalism . . . including white supremacy and ISIS . . . that sweeps across the novel's world and two families over four generations." --Emma Sarappo, <i>Washington City Paper</i> "<i>Seventh Flag</i>'s rapid-paced narrative takes readers from the football fields of West Texas to the battlefields of the Middle East, from Mexican shootouts to an ashram in India. A former war correspondent, Balman's lively prose has his audience inside a tank's turret and with the media cluster in the rear of the Secretary of State's aircraft. The book entertains and enlightens!" --James Bishop, US Ambassador (ret.) "The book is a good read that truly captures the flavor of gritty West Texas. El Paso readers will recognize plenty of place references, and his research at West Point highlights themes Army officers may recall." --Tom Fenton, <i>El Paso Inc.</i> "An authentic and powerful take on the living, beating heart of multiculturalism in America and a nuanced journey through the lives of families whose destinies are entwined over multiple generations. If you are a fan of prestige TV like <i>Dynasty</i> but also enjoy strong political thrillers, like I do, then this is the book for you!" --Mustafa Hasnain, president of Creative Frontiers "Think you know what shapes Texas? Sid Balman's tale of a 'seventh flag' over Texas will rattle what you think. This saga of a generational partnership 'as unlikely as the idea of a United States' is rooted in a true event from before the Civil War that led to Texas, of all places, being home to more Muslim Americans than any other state." --Mark Stein, <i>New York Times</i> best-selling author of <i>How the States Got Their Shapes</i> "<i>Seventh Flag</i> is a thriller with action that heightens in the second half of the book, which opens after the events of 9/11. The narrative has the quality of reportage, rife with anecdotes and historical asides, and deals with such hot-button issues as religion, patriotism, and sexuality. Balman dives into political parties, the dark corners of the internet, and the rise of hate groups and terrorist cells." --Jennifer Levin, <i>Santa Fe New Mexican</i> "A must-read! <i>Seventh Flag</i> views the world through the eyes of two very different families as they move through the trials and tribulations that we are currently experiencing across different societies and religions. Their journey together helps them appreciate the different challenges and choices individuals must make, the importance of family, and our common humanity." --Shaykh Siddiqi, founder of Hijaz College and the Blessed Guide of the Naqshbandi Hijazi Sufi Order<br>
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