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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
When Zippo Went to War: A Lighter Legend

When Zippo Went to War: A Lighter Legend

Kaplan, Philip

Hardcover

Business General20th Century United States HistoryWorld War II

Currently unavailable to order

ISBN10: 152677769X
ISBN13: 9781526777690
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Published: Sep 15 2021
Pages: 208
Weight: 1.90
Height: 0.90 Width: 6.80 Depth: 9.80
Language: English
Throughout the 1930s the Zippo Company in Pennsylvania prospered on the growing success of its stylish, charismatic little cigarette lighter. The lighter was made mostly of brass, but with the World War II that metal was declared a 'strategic material' in the U.S. where huge amounts of it were needed for shell and cartridge casings. Zippo replaced the brass with steel, which can corrode, and wartime Zippos were given a new baked-on black 'crackle' finish to protect them. That non-reflective characteristic helped save the lives of many American soldiers in combat zones. The demand of the Armed Forces for the lighter led to the company to earmark its entire production for military.

In later years--and a dark medical reality--the cigarette began losing its allure, but in wartime the soldier, sailor, marine and airman was frequently nervous in the service and found solace and a brief time-out-of-war in the relaxation of a quick smoke. Zippo was ready in such moments. Today many examples survive with a special history and caché. When Zippo Went to War is illustrated with more than 140 unpublished photos those unique little lighters of old. Like the remarkable Zippo itself, the book works well and sheds some new light on its subject.

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