Sid Balman Jr. writes
about what he
knows, having
covered wars as an
award-winning national
security correspondent
and having worked as
a specialist in behaviorchange
communications.
His first novel, Seventh Flag,
clearly relies on his personal
experiences growing up
in Texas and then as a
journalist covering conflicts
throughout the world.
Although the characters
are fictional, the reader can easily
be convinced that this is a true story
with a few name changes. Balman
includes factual statements about
the state of our country and uses
foreign and domestic policies as
a background for this story about
two families, spanning several
generations. The families are clear
examples of pluralism, co-existing
with differences, but forming a
united feeling of togetherness.
The story has enough details to
keep the reader interested, but not
so overwhelming as to bog things
down. Balman often conveys an
entire range of feelings with one
sentence to complete the rising
suspense that he is so adept at
creating. The book is in many ways
the story of our country and those
who have lived and died to make
it what it is, while also exposing
some of the best and some of the
worst of our traits. He effectively
uses the storyline to convey his
views of world affairs and our
country’s policies.
Balman’s next novel, tentatively
called Murmuration, may be
released this fall. It also will deal
with the complexities of life in
our country, which often results
144 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2020
from things that occur
far from our shores. The
title is derived from the
phenomenon created by
flocks of starlings as they
fly in complex patterns to
help protect themselves
from predators. An
interesting belief is that the
starlings on this continent
are descended from those
brought here so that New
York City’s Central Park
would have songbirds.
As you read Seventh Flag,
you may pause to think
about what our country should
be and how we could be better, or
at least how we should have been
better in the past. Balman’s point
of view is present without his need
to preach. It is a story worth telling,
and he has done so in an easygoing
manner, making this book ideal for
anyone who would like to think
for themselves.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Seventh Flag
by Sid Balman Jr. is published by
SparkPress and can be purchased
at leading booksellers and at
amazon.com. 9
BOAORKT S
SEVENTH FLAG
A Sid Balman Jr. Novel
By Aaron R. Fodiman
/amazon.com