Why the Turkey Didn't Fly: The Surprising Stories Behind the Eagle, the Flag, Uncle Sam, and Other Images of America

by Paul Aron

Overview

Why did the eagle become our national symbol (even though Ben Franklin preferred the turkey)? How did Gilbert Stuart’s image of George Washington end up on the dollar bill? Did Betsy Ross really have anything to do with the Stars and Stripes? Here are the stories behind America’s most enduring images.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611684940
Publisher:	University Press of New England
Publication date:	08/06/2013
Pages:	94
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

PAUL ARON is director of publications for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. His previous books are: Unsolved Mysteries of American History, Unsolved Mysteries of History, Count The Ways, More Unsolved Mysteries of American History, Did Babe Ruth Call His Shot?, Mysteries in History, and We Hold These Truths.

Table of Contents

Preface
Declarations
Dollar Bills
Eagles and Turkeys
Fifes and Drums
Kites and Caps
Lady Liberties
Liberty Bells
Liberty Trees
Massacres
Pyramids and Eyes
Snakes
Stars and Stripes
Uncles Sams
Washington’s Crossings
Yankee Doodles and Brother Jonathans
Notes and Quotes
Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

Scott Reynolds Nelson

"Paul Aron gives us a rollicking, learned, and beguiling account of the true stories behind the images we thought we knew. From Uncle Sam to Lady Liberty, the eagle to Yankee Doodle, Aron sets us straight about the origins of America's most famous icons."

Joel Richard Paul

“With wit and intelligence Paul Aron untangles the mystery of masonic images on the dollar, traces the lineage of our flag’s design, and debunks Uncle Sam. Why The Turkey Didn’t Fly is a fun book for anyone who loves Americana.”

Editorial Reviews

“Paul Aron gives us a rollicking, learned, and beguiling account of the true stories behind the images we thought we knew. From Uncle Sam to Lady Liberty, the eagle to Yankee Doodle, Aron sets us straight about the origins of America’s most famous icons.”—Scott Reynolds Nelson, author of Steel Drivin’ Man: The Untold Story of An American Legend and A Nation of Deadbeats: An Uncommon History of America’s Financial Disasters

“With wit and intelligence Paul Aron untangles the mystery of masonic images on the dollar, traces the lineage of our flag’s design, and debunks Uncle Sam. Why The Turkey Didn’t Fly is a fun book for anyone who loves Americana.”—Joel Richard Paul, author of Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution

From the Publisher