National anthems are an integral part of official receptions and play an important role at major events such as the Olympic Games or World Championships. Most anthems date from the 18 -20th centuries and are often an essential partof the political and cultural development of a country, e. g. on its way to independence or democracy. At the same time, the anthem conveys a sense of community and is a means to express identification with one 's home country. Thisedition contains 50 national anthems from all over the world, with original melody and chord symbols, complete texts in the original language as well as a transliteration for the more exotic languages. Now available in arevisedsecond edition, the volume is completed by interesting information on the respective countries as well as on the composers and text writers of the hymns. This edition encourages people to get to know the multitude ofdifferent national anthems and to sing along with the text.