Reviews
"Lavishly illustrated. . . . A subgenre of battlefield art that has probably never been collected as thoroughly or presented as elegantly as in 'Vietnam Zippos'. . . . [The lighters] tell hundreds of stories . . . and each one makes the book worth reading."- Army Times, A fascinating and specialized military cultural history that is a unique and recommended contribution to the growing library of Vietnam War histories., "For American soldiers in Vietnam, the Zippo lighter was an essential talisman; its chrome casing was also a convenient canvas on which fighters expressed their anger and frustration. InVietnam Zipposthese unique artifacts tell the story of a war gone sour. Lyndon Johnson's observation that 'ultimate victory will depend upon the hearts and minds of the people' inspired the gleeful savagery of 'Give me your hearts and minds or I will wreck your fucking huts'; another solider rephrases Psalm 23 with 'Yea though I walk through the valley of the jungle of death, I will fear no evil, for I am the evilest son of a bitch in the jungle.' Later as enthusiasm for the war ebbed, lighters feature such deep thoughts as 'When the power of love is as strong as the love of power, then there will be peace.' Truer words were never engraved."-Playboy, "[ Vietnam Zippos ] documents what the author, Sherry Buchanan, calls 'amulets and talismans bringing the keeper invulnerability, good luck and protection against evil.' Sadly, these personalized mementos also served as last testaments for many who were killed in action. . . . . This book, well designed and photographed by Misha Anikst, offers a rare personal dimension. The mottoes on these lighters, like 'When I die I will go to heaven because I spent my time in hell,' provide candid insight into what these soldiers thought of the war."- New York Times Book Review, "Lavishly illustrated. . . . Fans ofApocalypse Nowwill find many parallels in the stories and lighter engravings in the book."-Army Times, For American soldiers in Vietnam, the Zippo lighter was an essential talisman; its chrome casing was also a convenient canvas on which fighters expressed their anger and frustration. In Vietnam Zippos these unique artifacts tell the story of a war gone sour. Lyndon Johnson's observation that 'ultimate victory will depend upon the hearts and minds of the people' inspired the gleeful savagery of 'Give me your hearts and minds or I will wreck your fucking huts'; another solider rephrases Psalm 23 with 'Yea though I walk through the valley of the jungle of death, I will fear no evil, for I am the evilest son of a bitch in the jungle.' Later as enthusiasm for the war ebbed, lighters feature such deep thoughts as 'When the power of love is as strong as the love of power, then there will be peace.' Truer words were never engraved., "Zippo is as distinctly American as apple pie, the Stars & Stripes and the girl next door. . . . Whether carried as a talisman or as simply a convenient, easily-concealable object upon which to privately 'rage against the machine,' these Vietnam Zippos represent a previously untapped source for studying the 'new military history' of those who fought our most divisive war. . . . This book is highly recommended."-- Armchair General, The engravings on lighters featured in this copiously illustated volume are at once searing, caustic, sentimental, humorous, but always moving, running the full emotional spectrum with both sardonic reflesions and poignant maxims. Part pop art and part military artifact, they collectively capture the mood of the sixties and the darkest days of Vietnam., "During the Vietnam War, the Zippo lighter was an indispensable part of a GI's uniform. . . . At a time when American men and women are again fighting an unpopular war in a faraway land, it is fitting to remember the philosophers of that war who passionately reflected on their circumstances in this humble yet personal medium."- San Francisco Chronicle, "Sobering . . . Using Zippos from the collection of artist Bradford Edwards, Buchanan shows the personal histories of some of the millions who served [in Vietnam]. This unique approach is by turns funny, pornographic, informative and heartbreaking."- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The engravings on lighters featured in this copiously illustated volume are at once searing, caustic, sentimental, humorous, but always moving, running the full emotional spectrum with both sardonic reflections and poignant maxims. Part pop art and part military artifact, they collectively capture the mood of the sixties and the darkest days of Vietnam., "For grunts fighting the Vietnam War, statements of patriotism and protest found an outlet not on posters but on metal Zippo lighters.Vietnam Zippos, illustrated with objects from the collection of the artist Bradford Edwards, documents what the author, Sherry Buchanan, calls 'amulets and talismans bringing the keeper invulnerability, good luck and protection against evil.' Sadly, these personalized mementos also served as last testaments for many who were killed in action. Cigarette lighters with unit insignia were common during World War II, but during the Vietnam War the graphics were often those of the counterculture. In addition to displaying combat slogans, many Zippos were emblazoned with peace symbols, the Zig Zag Man rolling paper trademark, cartoon characters and 'sex scenes worthy of the Kama Sutra,' Buchanan writes. They were sold at PXs and custom-engraved with 'slogans, mantras, poems and obscenities' at stalls in Vietnamese villages. They also became infamous when soldiers were filmed during a search-and-destroy mission using their lighters to burn down huts. An extensive published record exists for documents and relics from the Vietnam War, yet this book, well designed and photographed by Misha Anikst, offers a rare personal dimension. The mottoes on these lighters, like 'When I die I will go to heaven because I spent my time in hell,' provide candid insight into what these soldiers thought of the war."-New York Times Book Review, During the Vietnam War, the Zippo lighter was an indispensable part of a GI's uniform. . . . At a time when American men and women are again fighting an unpopular war in a faraway land, it is fitting to remember the philosophers of that war who passionately reflected on their circumstances in this humble yet personal medium., Sobering . . . Using Zippos from the collection of artist Bradford Edwards, Buchanan shows the personal histories of some of the millions who served [in Vietnam]. This unique approach is by turns funny, pornographic, informative and heartbreaking., "Zippo is as distinctly American as apple pie, the Stars & Stripes and the girl next door. . . . Whether carried as a talisman or as simply a convenient, easily-concealable object upon which to privately 'rage against the machine,' these Vietnam Zippos represent a previously untapped source for studying the 'new military history' of those who fought our most divisive war. . . . This book is highly recommended."-Armchair General, "During the Vietnam War, the Zippo lighter was an indispensable part of a GI''s uniform, used to set enemy huts ablaze, light cigarettes or serve as a canvas for the sentiments of the anguished soldiers who engraved on them rock lyrics, peace signs, poetic and fatalistic phrases such as 'We are the unwilling, led by the unqualified, doing the unnecessary for the ungrateful.' At a time when American men and women are again fighting an unpopular war in a faraway land, it is fitting to remember the philosophers of that war who passionately reflected on their circumstances in this humble yet personal medium."-San Francisco Chronicle, Lavishly illustrated. . . . A subgenre of battlefield art that has probably never been collected as thoroughly or presented as elegantly as in 'Vietnam Zippos'. . . . [The lighters] tell hundreds of stories . . . and each one makes the book worth reading., "Sobering . . . Using Zippos from the collection of artist Bradford Edwards, Buchanan shows the personal histories of some of the millions who served [in Vietnam]. This unique approach is by turns funny, pornographic, informative and heartbreaking."-Minneapolis Star-Tribune, [ Vietnam Zippos ] documents what the author, Sherry Buchanan, calls 'amulets and talismans bringing the keeper invulnerability, good luck and protection against evil.' Sadly, these personalized mementos also served as last testaments for many who were killed in action. . . . . This book, well designed and photographed by Misha Anikst, offers a rare personal dimension. The mottoes on these lighters, like 'When I die I will go to heaven because I spent my time in hell,' provide candid insight into what these soldiers thought of the war., "For American soldiers in Vietnam, the Zippo lighter was an essential talisman; its chrome casing was also a convenient canvas on which fighters expressed their anger and frustration. In Vietnam Zippos these unique artifacts tell the story of a war gone sour. Lyndon Johnson's observation that 'ultimate victory will depend upon the hearts and minds of the people' inspired the gleeful savagery of 'Give me your hearts and minds or I will wreck your fucking huts'; another solider rephrases Psalm 23 with 'Yea though I walk through the valley of the jungle of death, I will fear no evil, for I am the evilest son of a bitch in the jungle.' Later as enthusiasm for the war ebbed, lighters feature such deep thoughts as 'When the power of love is as strong as the love of power, then there will be peace.' Truer words were never engraved."- Playboy, "Zippo is as distinctly American as apple pie, the Stars & Stripes and the girl next door. . . . Whether carried as a talisman or as simply a convenient, easily-concealable object upon which to privately 'rage against the machine,' these Vietnam Zippos represent a previously untapped source for studying the 'new military history' of those who fought our most divisive war. . . . This book is highly recommended."- Armchair General
