{"product_id":"the-worst-songs-in-the-world-9781459754560","title":"The Worst Songs in the World","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe best-known songs in the world are violent, sexist, and religious  so why do we celebrate national anthems when we should be rewriting them?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFascinating and thoughtful ... showcases how anthems divide us even as they promise to bring communities together.  MARK CLAGUE, author of \u003cem\u003eO Say Can You Hear?: A Cultural Biography of The Star-Spangled Banner\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis fascinating popular history of national anthems begins in a London theatre in 1745 when the modern idea of anthems was born. They started out as triumphant expressions of national superiority by glorifying violence, claiming the support of God, and mostly ignoring women.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDavid Pate has experienced the violent side of anthems firsthand: as a schoolboy in Scotland, he was caned for refusing to sing God Save the Queen. He says it's time to dump lyrics about cutting throats, watering fields with blood, building walls with the bodies of enemies, and celebrating the sound of machine guns.","brand":"The Dundurn Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51019880857943,"sku":"9781459754560","price":17.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781459754560.jpg?v=1750781582","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-worst-songs-in-the-world-9781459754560","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}