Researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu writes autobiography for posterity

Celebrating the 104th birthday of researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu - Photo: L.DOAN

The special book Going through a hundred years is not a reference or research book, but rather an autobiography of the life of researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu - a strange life of a man who lived and experienced from the 20th century, through the 21st century and through many eras.

Autobiography from the "order" of the secretary

Researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu has been writing for more than 80 years with a huge body of work, more than 60 books.

The autobiography (originally planned to be titled A Human Life) was in his mind. However, he planned to finish 10 more books before starting to write the autobiography.

Ms. Dinh Thi Thanh Thuy, former General Director of Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House, shared that on July 16, 2022, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen visited Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tu at his home.

Here, he heard the old man tell his life story. The Secretary immediately encouraged Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tu to prioritize writing his autobiography first: "You should order him to write his autobiography A Human Life first. It's okay to slow down the research a bit."

Encouraged by the secretary, the senior researcher wrote diligently for 6 months and the autobiography was published as a beautiful gift on the occasion of his 104th birthday.

The book has 384 pages, including 11 chapters: Homeland - Intact memories, A few pieces of history of Thanh Chuong village, A childhood, Student life and ambition, An exemplary father, Practicing politics , Family life, The waves of the sea to the South, Following the times to find a way to make a living, The twists and turns of life, Writing career, Appendix of images preserving the past and present.

Writing incorrectly will cause future generations to misunderstand.

Nguyen Dinh Tu's autobiography, "Going Through a Hundred Years"

Mr. Tu confided that searching for reference books and research materials takes a lot of time, but for his autobiography, he just had to "dig out his memory".

He smiled and said that he was lucky to have a good memory, he still remembered things from when he was 5-6 years old clearly.

With Going Through a Hundred Years, he hopes to leave a book for his descendants, to see how his ancestors suffered but still tried to overcome, determined to make a living and contribute to life and people.

As for young people today, living conditions are better than in the past, so he hopes that they do not waste time, try to study hard, cultivate themselves well to live a useful life for society.

The autobiography is not personal in nature but allows readers to see a historical period of the nation. Associate Professor Dr. Tran Hoang Ngan, assistant to the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen, said he spent several days of Tet reading the entire book and felt the "wonderfulness" of a life of hardship, hardship, and a bit of adversity but always maintaining optimism.

Mr. Ngan learned valuable lessons from Mr. Tu's autobiography about love for the country, family, wife and children, and tireless efforts to succeed.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tu emphasized that when writing his autobiography, he avoided making up stories, just as in his works he was loyal to objectivity. Because if "he did not write the truth, future generations would misunderstand".

Reader Ngoc Han was moved by Nguyen Dinh Tu's autobiography. He was a studious person but his studies were often interrupted because of his poor family situation. However, his spirit and will made people admire him because he studied every day, in many ways, not for a degree.

Dr. Phan Dinh Nham - former director of National Archives Center 2 - has been friends with Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tu for 25 years. He expressed his admiration for the common but intelligent researcher. He said that many people have degrees and titles, but no one can write more than 60 books like Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tu.

And until now, although he is 104 years old, he still spends 10 hours a day researching and writing, and he plans to write at least 10 more books. Therefore, Nguyen Dinh Tu is a very special researcher and deserves to be an example for generations to follow.

During the exchange and book launch on the morning of February 24 at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tu confided about the land he lives in:

"Ho Chi Minh City is the place that nurtured my life, so I have to repay it. And I repay it by writing the book Gia Dinh - Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City: Long Mile of History (1698-2020, the book received the 2nd Tran Van Giau Science Award - 2023, majoring in history).

I wrote the book with the aim of introducing to people at home and abroad how the city developed, what stages it went through... Anyone who wants to learn about the city, just need to open the book and it will be all there."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nha-nghien-cuu-nguyen-dinh-tu-viet-tu-truyen-cho-hau-the-20240225101121697.htm