Author Keith Seafield has responded to my review of his book, and rather than just leave it in the comments I thought I would include it in a post to reach a wider audience:
Mr. Lloyd I appreciate the thoughtful and measured review of my book, “War Trophies: Weapons from Vietnam”. I am particularly pleased that you recognized the book’s value in documenting a subject that has received very little attention and in preserving the stories and documentation surrounding Vietnam War trophies. I would, however, like to clarify one point regarding your observation that “the weapons get much less attention than the men who brought them back.” That was, in fact, an intentional choice on my part. My purpose in writing War Trophies: Weapons from Vietnam was not simply to produce a technical catalog or a comprehensive study of the weapons themselves. The weapons are important, but the men who brought them home are the reason I wrote the books. Each weapon represents a story, an experience, and a connection to the men who served. I wanted to honor those veterans and preserve their personal histories alongside the artifacts they brought home. For that reason, the photographs, paperwork, reports, and individual stories are not merely supporting material for a study of firearms. They are part of the human history behind those objects. A weapon sitting in a collection can tell us what it is; the story of how a particular veteran encountered it, obtained permission to bring it home, and carried it halfway around the world tells us something much more meaningful about the individual who served. I do agree with you on the issue of the table of contents. The omission of page numbers was an oversight, and I appreciate the observation. An experienced editor could certainly have helped identify issues such as that and improve the organization and presentation of the material. You also noted that additional discussion of the war from the Communist perspective might have been helpful. That is a fair observation, although it was outside the primary purpose of this particular book. My focus was the history of war trophies and, most importantly, the veterans connected to them rather than attempting to provide a comprehensive military history of the Vietnam War or an examination of the logistics of the conflict from the North Vietnamese or Viet Cong perspective. I was especially pleased that you recognized the broader historical significance of the weapons documented in the book. The Vietnam War battlefield was not simply a collection of Soviet- and Chinese-supplied arms. Weapons from earlier conflicts and from a variety of nations circulated throughout Southeast Asia, creating an extraordinary mixture of firearms with histories extending well beyond Vietnam. Ultimately, I am grateful for the review because it recognizes what I believe is the most important aspect of War Trophies: Weapons from Vietnam: these are not simply stories about guns. They are stories about the men who served, the experiences they carried home, and the physical objects that remained as tangible reminders of their service. My hope in writing these books is that those stories will not be forgotten.
Thanks Keith Seafield
This reminds me of J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal essay on Beowulf (The Monsters and The Critics): I have to a certain extent criticized a book not for what it is, but for what I wanted it to be. Seafield’s response is very much in line with Tolkien’s defense of the epic poem – take it as what it is and stop wishing it was something else.
That being said, my only basis of comparison was the various firearms guides such as Ezell’s Handguns of the World. It is very different.
For those who may hesitate on the purchase: don’t. Get it while you can. This is a wholly unique resource and essential reading for any serious collector. The technical information can be found elsewhere, but there is no replacement for the stories and information. Indeed, since writing that review, I have turned to it again and again as I follow Jason Clower’s journey through the story of the People’s Liberation Army.
Leave a comment