Published in Italy more than 60 years ago, this precious book has unexpectedly made a special journey back to its homeland, Vietnam.
This is not only a story about a valuable publication but also a vivid proof of the respect and deep affection of international friends for Uncle Ho. It is also the result of many silent efforts over many years, with the dedication of many individuals to republish the book in Vietnamese.
Special book
In the 1960s and 1970s, when the resistance war against the US to save the country gradually reached its final victory, the wave of support for Vietnam spread strongly throughout the world , including Italy. In the midst of that historical flow, a group of dedicated authors gathered, compiled and published the book "Ho Ci Min - un uomo e un popolo", published in 1968 by Vie Nuove Magazine (New Roads), the mouthpiece of the Italian Communist Party at that time. The book expressed international solidarity and contributed a strong voice in support of the just struggle of the Vietnamese people under his leadership.
The first editions of the book had a simple but solemn appearance, with the content presented in Italian, recounting the biography, the great revolutionary career as well as deeply analyzing the ideology, morality and simple, close style of President Ho Chi Minh. The special feature of the book is that it includes 12 volumes of stories in both words and pictures with images of Uncle Ho, General Vo Nguyen Giap and other historical figures depicted vividly, closely and sharply. The chapters were conceived and implemented by the artists from 1960 to 1968, then printed in many issues of newspapers before being compiled into a book.
In fact, after decades of its publication, the book “Ho Ci Min - un uomo e un popolo” was unexpectedly found by a young Vietnamese person and ignited the journey to bring the book back to the Fatherland. That was around 2005, Mr. Tran Thanh Quyet, then a student in Italy, now Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam-Italy Friendship Association, was surprised to see information about the book appear on the website of the Center for Vietnamese Studies in the city of Torino. He was attracted by the cover image and title, wanted to read it but when he contacted, the center did not keep the original manuscript. Despite his efforts to search for a long time afterwards, with the help of many Italian friends, he did not have any more information so he had to temporarily put it aside...
Mr. Quyet shared: “In 2020, by chance, I received a message from Mr. Renato Darsie, President of the Italy-Vietnam Association in the Veneto region, saying that a member of the association, Mr. Fabio Marangon, found a valuable book about President Ho Chi Minh and wanted to share it.” When he received the cover photo, Mr. Quyet was surprised to realize that it was the book he had always wanted to read. Only about a month later, he received a full color scan of the 12 chapters from Mr. Marangon. He and his wife - lecturer Bui Thi Thai Duong at the Italian Department, Hanoi University, who later became the main translator of the book, read it enthusiastically and were truly moved by the profound content and unique illustrations. Immediately, the first thought that came to his mind was: This book must be translated into Vietnamese and spread to a large number of Vietnamese readers, especially the young generation.
With respect for Uncle Ho and a deep love for Italy, Mr. Quyet began his passionate journey. He shared his desire to translate the book and proposed donating the original copy to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which was agreed upon by the Italy-Vietnam Association in the Veneto region. During a business trip to Italy, he met with Uncle Darsie and Uncle Marangon to receive the book in person. The moment he held the original publication in his hands was truly special: “I was both moved by the opportunity to access the precious book and proud of the affection and dedication that my Italian friends have for Uncle Ho and the Vietnamese people even though more than 60 years have passed,” Mr. Quyet said.
After receiving and bringing the book to Vietnam, the Vietnam-Italy Friendship Association officially informed the Ho Chi Minh Museum and carried out the procedures to donate the book. And in 2020, the Association coordinated with the Italian Embassy to organize a donation ceremony at Casa Italia - Italian Cultural and Brand Center in Hanoi. During the event, representatives of Kim Dong Publishing House initially discussed the translation and publication of the Vietnamese version. Later, the parties agreed to publish the translation with the participation of the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the Institute of History (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences) in editing the content, in order to ensure the requirements for accurate information assessment, opening up opportunities for the book to be officially reprinted.
Journey in Vietnam
The original book received by the Ho Chi Minh Museum made a strong impression on researchers, historians and representatives of Kim Dong Publishing House. However, the initial surprise and joy quickly gave way to concerns because the book was old, written entirely in Italian and, most importantly, the group of authors were no longer around. Verifying the information and ensuring historical accuracy for the reprint in Vietnamese became a huge challenge.
The book is a very special work, one of the few books researching the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh written by foreign authors while he was still alive.
Mrs. Tran Thi Phuong Lan,
Head of Documentation Department, Library (Ho Chi Minh Museum)
Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Lan, Head of Documentation Department, Library (Ho Chi Minh Museum) said: The museum considers this a very special work, one of the few books researching the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh written by foreign authors during his lifetime. However, the lack of verifiable information from the authors has required an extremely careful inspection and verification process before reprinting.
Another difficulty is that during the Covid-19 outbreak, all plans for translation and publication of the work were forced to be put on hold. When the pandemic passed, Mr. Quyet quickly proposed to the leaders of the Vietnam-Italy Friendship Association to restart. However, at this time, when the original copy was old and was being kept by the Ho Chi Minh Museum with a very strict artifact management process, direct access could risk damaging the manuscript. But fortunately, after a long search, Mr. Quyet was able to buy the second original book in early 2022 from a collector. After carefully verifying the information, he ordered and asked someone to receive the book for him in Italy and personally brought it back to Vietnam during his business trip at the end of 2022.
“Only when we have the second copy in hand will we be ready to work with Kim Dong Publishing House to implement the translation plan and at the same time evaluate the possibility of official release in Vietnam,” Mr. Quyet emphasized.
A factor that breathed new life into the project of republishing the politically charged book was the young editor of Kim Dong Publishing House - Le Chi, born in 1991. Le Chi said: She used to study abroad in Italy, so she has a certain amount of language knowledge. When participating in the book translation process, her emotions were mixed between joy and pride. The biggest challenge was how to make the Vietnamese translation not only accurate but also convey the spirit and emotions of the original, while ensuring that all information about President Ho Chi Minh was completely accurate.
Translator Bui Thi Thai Duong and editor Le Chi spent two and a half years to complete the entire translation, editing and content consultation work. The translation of the book alone took eight months. The complexity of the language and the need for serious care in translating historical and cultural terms to suit Vietnamese readers while still maintaining the original and highest accuracy about Uncle Ho that she and the translator set out made it impossible for them to move quickly.
Le Chi said that there were times when she and the translator had to spend hours to agree on just a few sentences or words, because “although it is a picture book, every word has profound historical meaning”. Le Chi and the translator had to constantly consult with leading experts on President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese history to avoid any mistakes, even the smallest ones.
Experts from the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Quang Hai of the Institute of History were directly involved in editing and checking historical documents related to the book. Ms. Lan said that the biggest difficulty was to harmoniously handle three issues: Respecting the original, ensuring the accuracy of the documents and expressing them in a suitable Vietnamese style. The Ho Chi Minh Museum closely coordinated with Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Quang Hai, translator Bui Thi Thai Duong and the publisher to check every detail and historical data, carefully comparing them with archival records and official documents. This rigorous process helped overcome challenges in language and document origin to produce the most accurate translation, worthy of the value of the book and the stature of Uncle Ho.
The cover design and presentation of the book were also carefully considered by Kim Dong Publishing House, maintaining the solemnity and sophistication of the original but adding details suitable for the tastes of Vietnamese readers. Therefore, as soon as it was launched on the occasion of the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday in May 2025, the Vietnamese version of the book was very positively received, especially by young people, students, and pupils...
It can be said that the arduous journey of bringing “Ho Ci Min - Un uomo e un popolo” from a distant library in Italy back to President Ho Chi Minh’s homeland of Vietnam is truly an inspiring story; becoming a living symbol of the affection of international friends for President Ho Chi Minh, of international friendship, the perseverance and dedication of the silent people of both countries. To express his gratitude for Mr. Darsie’s help, Mr. Quyet personally gave the Vietnamese version of the book to him last June in Italy, in the joy and emotion of his beloved Italian friend.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/hanh-trinh-dac-biet-cua-cuon-sach-quy-post896560.html
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