Ho Chi Minh - A man and a nation

Book Ho Chi Minh - A man and a nation

In 1968, the book was published in Italy by the magazine Vie Nuove (New Paths) - the mouthpiece of the Italian Communist Party at that time - under the name Ho Ci Min - Un uomo e un popolo.

The book is narrated by journalists Paolo Bracaglia Morante and Camillo Pisani, combined with illustrations by artist Pino Dangelico and many valuable documentary photos. This is a rare publication about President Ho Chi Minh in comic book form.

More than half a century later, the book arrived in Vietnam. In 2020, this special publication was presented to the Ho Chi Minh Museum by the Veneto Region Italy-Vietnam Friendship Association and then introduced to Kim Dong Publishing House by the Vietnam-Italy Friendship Association.

On the occasion of the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday, the book was translated by translator Bui Thi Thai Duong with the support of editing from the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Quang Hai (Institute of History, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences ) to Vietnamese readers.

The man who revived a country

Dr. Chu Duc Tinh - former director of the Ho Chi Minh Museum - assessed that the authors demonstrated a very deep understanding of modern Vietnamese history and of President Ho Chi Minh.

The work leads readers to learn about the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh, from when the boy Nguyen Sinh Cung witnessed the brutality of the feudal regime in his hometown, to the young man Nguyen Tat Thanh leaving to find a way to save the country;

The loyal Communist soldier Nguyen Ai Quoc spent decades wandering around the world waiting for the day to return to liberate his homeland; and President Ho Chi Minh, who led the Vietnamese people through two great revolutionary wars to gain independence, peace , and unification for the country.

But the book is more than just a simple biography.

The life of Uncle Ho is told by Italian journalists in an attractive way, starting from the thousand-year history of the Vietnamese people; from the beginning with the legend of Lac Long Quan - Au Co, to the great wars to defend the country in 4,000 years of history, to the "encounter" with the West and the invasion of French colonialism.

In the heart of a nation with a tradition of patriotism, indomitable resistance to foreign invaders and a rich culture, a great man was born, creating a legendary life.

Reading the sharp summaries about President Ho Chi Minh by the authors in the book, Vietnamese readers are moved to realize how much our Uncle Ho is admired and loved by people around the world.

These highly comprehensive and accurate comments by Italian authors also open up new perspectives on Uncle Ho for Vietnamese readers:

"He was the one who revived a country, built a government, and won two decisive wars in contemporary history: the war against France - which destroyed a huge colonial empire, and the war against America - which showed the limits of technical strength when faced with the great will of a nation."

Great people do not "solely" shine.

The interesting thing about the book is that the life of the great man Ho Chi Minh is told very simply and intimately, a legendary life placed among other stories and in the context of the world and Vietnam, not "exclusively" shining.

In the book, readers will encounter stories of Phan Boi Chau, De Tham, Phan Dinh Phung, Pham Van Dong, Vo Nguyen Giap and his martyr wife (Mrs. Nguyen Thi Quang Thai)...

Besides the selected articles of Uncle Ho, the book also includes articles of General Vo Nguyen Giap about the Vietnam People's Army and people's war.

And another important "character" vividly portrayed in this book is Vietnamese culture. The country of Vietnam in the book is not only about wars, but also a rich culture with paintings, poetry, patriotic traditions and heroic, humane people.

Interspersed between the stories of President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary life and the great war of national defense of the Vietnamese people, the authors publish folk paintings, paintings by contemporary Vietnamese artists, expressive propaganda paintings, folk songs and folk songs of Vietnamese ethnic groups...

"They searched Vietnamese literature and quoted some wonderful lines. The poems in the Prison Diary that were selected for publication in the book are also very unique and not the ones that are often quoted in Vietnam," commented Dr. Chu Duc Tinh.

Along with the book Ho Chi Minh - A man and a nation , on this occasion, Kim Dong Publishing House introduced to readers many new titles about Uncle Ho such as: Two collections of Uncle Ho's Tet Letters, Uncle Ho's Letters to Children, a selection of Uncle Ho's letters to teenagers and children, and New Year's greetings to all compatriots nationwide.

Or the book "Days Living Near Uncle Ho" - a simple memoir by Mrs. Nong Thi Trung, a Tay ethnic woman, about her time working secretly in the Pac Bo mountains and forests.

Uncle Ho's Secretary Tells Stories is the sharing of Mr. Vu Ky - who spent 24 years as a dedicated secretary serving Uncle Ho; Following His Footsteps - a collection of memoirs by Trinh Quang Phu.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ho-chi-minh-mot-con-nguoi-va-mot-dan-toc-20250519081118201.htm