Author: James Breig

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Bio
James Breig is a veteran author who specializes in history. His most recent book is “Star-Spangled Baseball: True Tales of Flags and Fields” about the links between the sport and flags. He is also the author of a nonfiction book about WWII, "Searching for Sgt. Bailey: Saluting an Ordinary Soldier of World War II" and co-author of "The Mystery of the Multiple Mothers," a novel. All three are available at www.amazon.com. His articles have appeared in newspapers and national magazines, including the Colonial Williamsburg Journal (search for them at www.history.org/journal) and History Magazine. He has won many national awards for his opinion writing, media columns and feature articles.
History Lessons

Teddy Roosevelt amid flags

By James Breig This year could be called the eye of a hurricane of war anniversaries. Americans are in the middle of marking the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, the sesquicentennial of the Civil War and the 70th anniversary of World War II. This is also the 115th anniversary of one of the… continue

History Lessons

Mutineers’ descendants have a flag

By James Breig The recent birth of a new prince in Great Britain, the nation that at one time “ruled the waves,” calls to mind a real-life sea-faring story, “Mutiny on the Bounty,” set in the South Pacific. The original book and many film versions of how an 18th-century crew rebelled against their taskmaster captain… continue

History Lessons

Designing 18th-century flags

When people come together to form something new – a neighborhood club, a scouting troop, a sports team – they often design a flag or banner as a visible sign of their unity. So it was for the 18th-century Americans who rebelled against Great Britain. As they created an army and navy, they needed new… continue

History Lessons

Waving ‘A Grand Old Rag’

By James Breig Every Fourth of July, Turner Classic Movies broadcasts “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” the 1942 movie about the life of singer-songwriter-playwright-dancer George M. Cohan. It does so because Cohan, played by James Cagney, penned not only the title tune but also “It’s a Grand Old Flag” and other patriotic anthems. Cohan was renowned for… continue

History Lessons

Flags fly amid battles

By James Breig The just-concluded 150th anniversary of the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg brought renewed attention to the role flags played during Civil War conflicts. When cannons and muskets began firing, regimental and other flags became essential ways of communicating amid the smoke and chaos. The banners rallied troops to common points on the… continue