About the Author

Stephen J. Hartnett is Assistant Professor of Speech Communication at the University of Illinois, Urbana. As a musician and poet, he has released numerous recordings.

Robert James Branham was Professor of Rhetoric at Bates College.

Reviews

Branham and Hartnett have skilfully crafted a fascinating and sweeping social history of the United States from the Revolution into the twentieth century, through the prism of the country's traditional national anthem ... They have deftly explored how the study of popular music can illuminate vital (and conflicting) aspects of the country's history. The Journal of American History Readers will learn much from these pages. Richard Crawford, Times Literary Supplement