Vietnam Zippos: American Soldiers' Engravings and Stories (1965-1973)

Vietnam Zippos: American Soldiers' Engravings and Stories (1965-1973) | THIS IS EDWARDS' STORY - NOT BUCHANAN'S

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Vietnam Zippos: Am...

	Vietnam Zippos: American Soldiers' Engravings and Stories (1965-1973) University Of Chicago Press, 2007 - 176 pages average customer review:based on 15 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

We are the unwilling, led by the unqualified, doing the unnecessary for the ungrateful
?from an engraving on a Vietnam-era Zippo lighter

In 1965, journalist Morley Safer followed the United States Marines on a search and destroy mission into Cam Ne. When the Marines he accompanied reached the village, they ordered the civilians there to evacuate their homes?grass huts whose thatched roofs they set ablaze with Zippo lighters. Safer?s report on the event soon aired on CBS and was among the first to paint a harrowing portrait of the War in Vietnam. LBJ responded to the segment furiously, accusing Safer of having ?shat on the American flag.? For the first time since World War II, American boys in uniform had been portrayed as murderers instead of liberators. Our perception of the war?and the Zippo lighter?would never be the same.

But as this stunning book attests, the Zippo was far more than an instrument of death and destruction. For the American soldiers who wielded them, they were a vital form of social protest as well. Vietnam Zippos showcases the engravings made by U.S. soldiers on their lighters during the height of the conflict, from 1965 to 1973. In a real-life version of the psychedelic war portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola?s Apocalypse Now, Sherry Buchanan tells the fascinating story of how the humble Zippo became a talisman and companion for American GIs during their tours of duty. Through a dazzling array of images, we see how Zippo lighters were used during the war, and we discover how they served as a canvas for both personal and political expression during the Age of Aquarius, engraved with etchings of peace signs and marijuana leaves and slogans steeped in all the rock lyrics, sound bites, combat slang, and antiwar mottos of the time.

Death from Above. Napalm Sticks to Kids. I Love You Mom, From a Lonely Paratrooper. The engravings gathered in this copiously illustrated volume are at once searing, caustic, and moving, running the full emotional spectrum with both sardonic reflections?I Love the Fucking Army and the Army Loves Fucking Me?and poignant maxims?When the Power of Love Overcomes the Love of Power, the World Will Know Peace. Part pop art and part military artifact, they collectively capture the large moods of the sixties and the darkest days of Vietnam?all through the world of the tiny Zippo.

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Zippo book

My hippie Dad loved it! He is a history buff and had not heard of this practice!

THIS IS EDWARDS' STORY - NOT BUCHANAN'S

It is a shame and a pity that such an impressive book should reflect such a travesty in crediting. What does Ms. Buchanan have to do with the Vietnam Zippo? There is ample evidnce that it was the focus of Mr. Edwards' attention for many years. Yet he is relegated to a minor participant in the book itself! Anyone who closely examines the book can see the truth - it is self-evident. Apparently, Ms. Buchanan's massive ego overshadowed her sense of justice - she, as the publisher in fact, decided to not even share the authorship with Mr. Edwards. Othewise, it a near perfect book - striking graphic design - highest quality photographs - excellent essays and thorough research. Life can be unfair.

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Soldier Stories

A touching compilation of soldiers who served in Vietnam and the history of Zippos in the Army. Full of color pictures: numerous Zippos dipictaing pictures, unit slogans, witty banter, and more. A must read for anyone who wants to connect with history.

A fascinating and specialized military cultural history

The Vietnam War had many facets for those who served in that theatre of military combat from 1965 to 1973. One of the unique memorabilia associated with the conflict were the Zippo brand cigarette lighters that were ubiquitous among the American troops. Drawing from the collection of Bradford Edwards, Sherry Buchanan (an independent scholar, author, and expert on both Asian and Vietnamese contemporary art, history and culture) has created "Vietnam Zippos", a volume of images of Zippo brand lighters used and personalized by members of the American armed forces. Zippos lighters were visible associated with the burning of grass huts as part of search-and-destroy missions, they were used as engraved symbols of social protest, and often became a kind of talisman for American GIs during their hazardous tours of duty in that increasingly unpopular conflict. Beginning with a Timeline that begins in 1965 and ends in 1990 (when Vietnam Zippos were sold to tourists at Saigon Street Stalls), "Vietnam Zippos" is a fascinating and specialized military cultural history that is a unique and recommended contribution to the growing library of Vietnam War histories, biographies, and scholarly studies.

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Edwards - not Buchanan - wrote this tale

While reading this extraordinary and unique book it is obvious that Edwards put the time and effort into this project and Buchanan packaged it. Yet Buchanan seems to want all the credit. She alone is listed as the author, but what did she actually do? She wrote a distant and dry essay - well written no doubt, but what exactly is her relationship to this fascinating object called the Vietnam Zippo?

Judging from the lively discussion below on this page, Buchanan was, in fact, the publisher with the power to manipulate the crediting. It appears that Edwards' role was greatly diminished and he was relegated to the person who just provided the collection. Apparently another sad example of an artist being taken advantage of - there must be a back story here and it probably isn't pretty. What a shame this situation is considering what a finely crafted book it is.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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