Pocket books that crossed the Truong Son Mountains.

At a seminar organized by the People's Army Publishing House, we noticed a large man deep in thought beside a glass display case showcasing traditional books.

He gazed intently at the small books in his hands, his eyes welling up with emotion. Upon inquiry, we learned that he was the writer Nguyen Nhuan Hong Phuong. This year, the writer turned 79, but the memory of the small books that accompanied soldiers throughout the years of the resistance war remains vivid in his mind.

Some of these small books accompanied the soldiers during the resistance war against the US to save the country.

Writer Nguyen Nhuan Hong Phuong recalls that in 1968, after three months of new recruit training, he and his comrades received orders to march across the Truong Son mountain range into Laos to be assigned to the "Construction Site 80" engineering unit of the 500th Regiment, stationed in Khammouane province.

Writer Nguyen Nhuan Hong Phuong recounted: “I remember, when we set off on the march, my backpack contained several small books, about the size of a hand, published by the People's Army Publishing House. Besides Ho Chi Minh's "Prison Diary" and two poetry collections, "From Then On" and "Strong Wind," by poet To Huu, there were also Ho Phuong's "We Are at Con Co Island," Mai Vui's "The Girl from Ham Rong," and Thanh Giang's "Fighting in the Heart of the Enemy"... So we passed them around to read. Then the literary spirit spread, and my comrades and I encouraged each other to write prose and poetry.”

Not only writer Nguyen Nhuan Hong Phuong, but also many soldiers who went to war at that time, remembered those small, hand-sized books as being intimately connected to their daily lives and combat. Such books were also a new idea from the People's Army Publishing House. I recall that after the events of August 5, 1964, when the US imperialists escalated their bombing campaigns in several areas of North Vietnam, the People's Army Publishing House organized two delegations of cadres to visit the battlefields where the fighting against the bombing took place to learn about the reality. These field trips were fraught with challenges; their means of transportation were personal bicycles, and they had to carry tools and equipment to repair the bikes themselves when they broke down.

Book publishing also underwent innovations to meet readers' needs. During this period, there was a great need for books to be published quickly to reach readers on time. The thinner the books, the better, and the smaller the size to make them easier to carry in the backpacks of soldiers during long marches and battles in distant battlefields. Thus, the idea of ​​small books measuring 10x14.5cm, fitting comfortably in the palm of a hand, was conceived. This shift was not simple, as it required changes to all regulations and work practices, from editing and layout to printing and proofreading. However, with a spirit of overcoming difficulties and dedicating everything to the front lines, the People's Army Publishing House promptly produced meaningful books that accompanied soldiers on every path of combat.

These small, pocket-sized books were a great source of encouragement and inspiration for soldiers during the resistance war against the US and for national liberation. Alongside these small books, knowledge and combat experience were quickly conveyed, and timely literary works boosted morale, fostering noble ideals and aspirations for life and combat among officers and soldiers.

(According to the People's Army Newspaper Online )

Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/van-hoa/202505/sach-bo-tui-vuot-truong-son-2226059/