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Title: National Anthems of the World (National Anthems of the World) by Henry Coleman, Martin Shaw, W. L. Reed ISBN: 0-7137-0888-3 Publisher: Sterling Publishing Pub. Date: May, 1983 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95

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Average Customer Rating: 3.33 (3 reviews)

Rating: 1
Summary: Do not even think of it ...
Comment: If today you are looking for the best book on national anthems, you should definitely choose Xing Hang's "Encyclopedia of National Anthems" (ISBN 0810848473). What you should certainly not do is buy this book. It is nothing but a waste of money. Here is why.

Without doubt, the editors Reed and Bristow have taken efforts to gather the most current and complete information in the field and it is obvious that they spent many hours finding the latest information.

On the other hand, the book was published in late 2002. Although this is its 10th edition and it always tries to be as current and complete as possible, the anthems of many countries have not been revised to reflect the changes that have taken place in the world. For instance, Afghanistan has undergone a tumultuous transition over the past two decades, yet the publication continues to mislead readers by using the obsolete Communist hymn of the 1980s. To play such music for Afghan guests would not honor them in the very least, but would rather reflect the host's ignorance of their country instead. Reed/Bristow have also failed to respond to the adoption of new anthems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, and a host of other nations, many of which had changed songs over seven years ago. The two editors have the wrong music sheet for Micronesia (the island nation¡¯s anthem is "Patriots of Micronesia," signed into law in 1991). These make up just a few examples of the numerous content errors in this publication. Since the book boasts of being so current and complete, getting to know more about these new anthems was a major motivation for me to try this book. And I was deeply disappointed. Obviously, Reed/Bristow have not done a very good job keeping in touch with embassies and high commissions. On the contrary, Xing Hang at least is honest enough not to claim certain anthems to be still valid today-for example the anthems of "instable" countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia-, and instead to leave these anthems out of the book altogether.

If you appreciate correct spelling, solid paper, and an attractive layout, the Reed/Bristow book gives you still another load of reasons not to buy it. There are more than just a few errors in spelling and typesetting. Furthermore, the quality of the scores varies incredibly, ranging from excellent to below mediocre. Such highly uneven results will make amateur and professional pianists so frustrated as to break out in tears. As for these points, Xing Hang's book surpasses the latest edition of Reed/Bristow by far.

Although Encyclopedia of National Anthems does contain some errors in music notation and typesetting, this premier edition has succeeded in bringing the esoteric field of national anthems to lay readers, like students, professors, librarians, and the average guy on the street that enjoys these patriotic hymns, like me. However, Hang's book could still serve as a valuable reference for professionals as well. This is something that Reed/Bristow, in ten editions over 60 years, have failed to achieve. In contrast to the monotonous, bland music sheets that take up almost their entire book, which also contains a minimum of explanation, Hang includes detailed, valuable information on the history of how each song became the anthem of that country, as well as some essential facts about the country in question. In addition, he provides the anthem lyrics in a box of its own, separate from the music sheet, and compares them with an English translation so that readers could have an appreciation for what the text symbolizes. After all, these songs reflect the spirit of a nation and the values it stands for, above anything else. He also displays many lyrics in their original scripts (Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, etc) rather than simply a Latinized transliteration in Reed/Bristow's case, which, I believe, is very Eurocentric and does not give those nations the respect they deserve. In general, then, Encyclopedia of National Anthems is a truly interdisciplinary endeavor; it includes not only musicology, but also linguistics, history, politics, geography, and sociology. As globalization continues to bring our diverse world ever closer together, such integrated knowledge would help foster mutual understanding between the people of all countries, who can learn a lot about each other's cultures as represented through a national hymn. If Reed/Bristow do not improve their content to adjust to these rapidly changing times, their publication risks being discarded into the waste bin of history.

Reading all these facts and recalling the hefty price I paid for their book, there is only one thing I would like to know: Dear publishers, how could you risk your reputation and waste a single sheet of paper for such a heap of trash?
And dear Amazon readers: Do not even think of it...

Rating: 5
Summary: Great book but with a steep price.
Comment: This is a great book although many will be turned off by the price, It is worth the money IF this is a topic of interest to you.

The arrangements for the anthems also contain original romanized lyrics for them plus a translation into English

Rating: 4
Summary: A book that is worth its money!
Comment: This book is the most valuable title of the subject. In no other publication so many countries are compiled in one book. The piano arrangements are neither for absolute beginners nor for thorough professionals, and also the layout looks desirable. Although the quality of the scores varies, each of the tracks will definitely please you. Although this is the book's 8th edition and it always tries to be as up to date as possible, the most interesting (the new) countries of the world are missing. But anyway: if you are or if you want to be a professional in that topic, buy this book, you will never regret it!