The book series "The Family of General Thanh and General Vinh": Two generations of generals in a historical flow

The book series, jointly published by Omega Plus Books and the People's Army Publishing House, includes 4 books: "Stories about General Nguyen Chi Thanh", "Journey for Peace (Memoirs)", "Letters from North to South", "Nguyen Chi Thanh - Perspectives from posterity".

The memoir “Journey for Peace” by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh is written from an insider’s perspective, recounting the arduous journey of the Vietnamese “blue beret” peacekeeping force - from the first reconnaissance steps to challenging missions in Africa.

Each page of the memoir is a true recollection, reflecting the process of the Vietnam People's Army participating in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force. Then there are the tireless efforts of the entire army to realize the strategy of protecting the Fatherland early and from afar. Through each story told in the book, readers will see more clearly the silent sacrifice and the spirit of solidarity without borders of the Vietnamese "blue beret" soldiers.

With a simple but profound writing style, the author depicts not only strategic vision but also humanistic qualities and deep comradeship, through details such as the green vegetable garden in the field or the advice "safety first".

The book also conveys faith and responsibility for peace, and is a source of inspiration for the younger generation, especially in the military. This is the passion that Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh has long cherished, completed before his death, and has become a cultural and historical milestone in the field of Vietnam's defense diplomacy.

The book "Stories about General Nguyen Chi Thanh" was formed from the memories of the late Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh and family members about General Nguyen Chi Thanh, combined with the collection and compilation of content from many sets of documents and articles by researchers, writers, journalists and many family friends, with a common wish to preserve historical memories and indelible core values.

"Stories of General Nguyen Chi Thanh" is not only a history of a talented general, but also a portrait of everyday life, close and touching. Through short stories told by comrades, witnesses and those who were close to him, the book recreates a man who was both great in his achievements and simple in his daily life.

Each story is a small but evocative slice, honoring the General’s personality, leadership example and love for the people and soldiers. The simple, accessible narrative style, along with the rare photo appendix, further highlights the authenticity and strongly inspires readers, especially the younger generation.

Senior Lieutenant General, Professor, Doctor Nguyen Chi Vinh once shared: “Previously, there were many books written about the portrait and ideology of General Nguyen Chi Thanh, but I always had in mind to write a book, in which the content would include stories and photos, associated with the life of my father and his relatives. On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of my father's birth, my family and I collected and compiled the book: Stories about General Nguyen Chi Thanh. This book is not intended to embellish his image, but was made with the hope that readers, especially young people, would have a different, more authentic and closer perspective on the people of the Ho Chi Minh era.”

The book "Nguyen Chi Thanh: Perspectives from Later Generations" is a small book written by later generations about this talented general.

Under the proud stories of other generals, close comrades and cadres, or in the memories of his family and the working farmers who had the opportunity to meet or talk with the General, the life and career of General Nguyen Chi Thanh are all recreated with noble qualities: a son of the nation, full of affection, ready to share all difficulties, and also steadfast and indomitable before all enemies. He is the ideal model of a noble and close lifestyle, a typical representative of the "Golden Generation" of the Ho Chi Minh era.

“Letters from North to South” is a collection of 73 letters written by General Nguyen Chi Thanh and his family over nearly 20 years (1948-1967), from the resistance war against the French to the fierce years of the anti-American war. Most of them are letters to his wife, Nguyen Thi Cuc, mixed with a few letters to his children and reply letters.

These were simple, short letters, but full of affection, expressing concern and advice about health, study and morality for his children, while also exuding a resilient revolutionary spirit. In each line, there emerged the portrait of a general who was both a battlefield leader and a simple husband and father, always longing for his family.

The book is divided into two parts. Part one: stories revolving around General Nguyen Chi Thanh and his family members, comrades/teammates, nostalgic stories about the house the family used to live in, about his grandmother, about Mrs. Nguyen Thi Cuc - wife of General Nguyen Chi Thanh, about the localities where the General used to work...

Part two: is the content of wartime letters from 1948 to 1967.

Within the framework of the Hanoi Book Fair, the discussion launching the book series "General Thanh - General Vinh's Family: Two Generations of Generals - A Flow of History" organized by Omega Plus Books, attracted a large number of readers, including many young readers.

Colonel, writer Pham Van Truong, Director of the People's Army Publishing House, said that these are very good books about General Nguyen Chi Thanh and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, which have been standardized in terms of historical documents and have been carefully prepared before publication. The four books contribute to arousing in the young generation love for the homeland, national pride, especially pride in the sons of the heroic Vietnam People's Army. The book series also recalls a historical period and the thoughts and aspirations for peace of the nation as well as stories about the Vietnam People's Army.

The book series also shows the continuity between two generations of heroes of the Vietnam People's Army: one is a heroic general in the resistance war to regain independence and freedom for the Fatherland, the other is the foundation for Vietnam's peacekeeping force at the United Nations.

Major General Hoang Kim Phung, former Director of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, shared: “Senior General Nguyen Chi Vinh is the “chief architect” of Vietnam’s peacekeeping force. Decisive and courageous, he led the army into a new era, protecting the Fatherland early, from afar, by peaceful measures in peacetime.”

The book does not paint a distant image of General Nguyen Chi Thanh and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, but tells about them through very close and real stories like slices of everyday life.

Journalist Luong Bich Ngoc, representative of the group of authors, said: “The greatest value of this book series is the simple, easy-to-understand storytelling that is accessible to today’s youth. Many stories about General Nguyen Chi Thanh, which were considered legendary, are now decoded with a simple, everyday pen.”

Journalist Luong Bich Ngoc, representing the group of authors, shared: “The greatest value of this book series is the simple, easy-to-understand storytelling that is accessible to today’s youth. Many stories about General Nguyen Chi Thanh, which were considered legendary, are now decoded with a simple, everyday pen.”

In particular, all royalties from the two books “Letters from North to South” and “Nguyen Chi Thanh: Perspectives from posterity” were presented by the authors and Omega Plus Books to the “Forever 20” Club, as a thank you to previous generations.

Ms. Tran Hoai Phuong, Director of Omega Plus Company, said that Omega Plus wishes to introduce the book series "The Family of General Thanh and General Vinh" to young readers with the idea of through the succession between two generations of generals in the family to tell a broader story about a period of the country from the struggle for independence and freedom, to a peacetime general who raised Vietnam's position in the international arena, and that is the historical lineage of the nation through the story of a famous family of generals.

“The book series has many perspectives, from documentary perspective to insider perspective, outside analytical perspective of researchers and journalists to tell a broader story about the nation's history, and our wish is to spread this story of historical flow to young readers today,” said Ms. Tran Hoai Phuong.

HA CHI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/bo-sach-gia-dinh-tuong-thanh-tuong-vinh-hai-the-he-tuong-linh-trong-mot-dong-chay-lich-su-post912992.html