From its humble origins in 1990 at City Hall with just 149 exhibitors and 200,000 visitors, the HONG KONG BOOK FAIR has grown into one of Asia’s most anticipated cultural events. Now held annually at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the fair has become a dynamic convergence of literature, technology, and global storytelling—drawing over a million visitors at its peak and expanding to include thematic zones, art installations, and offsite cultural programs. Its growth mirrors Hong Kong’s rising stature as a hub for cross-border creativity and publishing.
This year, the 35th HONG KONG BOOK FAIR 2025, held from July 16 to 22, welcomed over 770 exhibitors from more than 30 countries and regions. With the theme:
“Reading the World – Food Culture • Future Living”
The fair explored how food, memory, and cultural identity shape the stories we tell and the lives we live. Among the featured titles this year, Kravitz & Sons proudly presented Vietnam Ambush by Daniel Seidenberg, Jr.—a raw, powerful memoir of war, sacrifice, and survival that struck a deeply emotional chord with readers across generations.
The author, Daniel Seidenberg, Jr. (US Army Retired), was only nineteen when he received his draft notice during the height of the Vietnam War. His journey through military life, infantry combat, and near-death injury is one marked by grit and honor. Severely wounded in action, he returned home permanently disabled and decorated with the Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and two Campaign Stars. His memoir is not only a personal testimony but a valuable historical document from a soldier who lived what many only read about.
Vietnam Ambush recounts the gripping story of a young American soldier thrust into the brutal realities of war in Southeast Asia. Assigned to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade during 1968–1969, Seidenberg describes in vivid, unflinching detail the physical and emotional toll of infantry combat—from the unforgiving jungles of Vietnam to the cold reception many veterans faced upon their return home.
The memoir opens with basic training and quickly drops readers into the chaos of ambushes, firefights, and long marches under a blazing tropical sun. The author doesn’t romanticize war; instead, he shares the raw truth—the injuries, the fear, the bond between soldiers, and the cost of duty. What sets this work apart is its introspective depth: Seidenberg explores not just the external conflict, but the inner war of conscience, identity, and memory.
Vietnam Ambush earned critical praise for its authenticity and integrity. Historian Bernie Weisz called it “an invaluable insight into one’s participation in a war that today most Americans prefer to forget,” while David Krieger of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation emphasized its importance for young Americans who think war might be glorious. This perspective, born from personal scars and earned wisdom, makes Vietnam Ambush not just relevant—it’s necessary reading.
Its place in the HONG KONG BOOK FAIR was well deserved. As the world continues to face global conflict and ideological divides, books like Vietnam Ambush serve as a mirror and a warning. In a fair focused on identity, memory, and the culture of the future, this memoir stood as a call to remember the cost of decisions made and lives altered by war.
To experience a soldier’s unfiltered voice and honor a legacy of service, visit Kravitz & Sons online bookstore and get your copy of Vietnam Ambush. This is more than a war story—it’s a testament of survival, courage, and the truth that demands to be heard.
Vietnam Ambush
Soldier in the Bush
Daniel Seidenberg, Jr.