Book about the life of legendary pilot Nguyen Van Bay

When mentioning People's Armed Forces Hero Nguyen Van Bay, people imagine a brave and resourceful pilot who flew a small, antiquated MiG-17 but achieved a glorious feat when he shot down 7 American planes with a daring and surprising guerrilla attack in the air.

Cover of the book "Immortal Bird - The story of legendary pilot Nguyen Van Bay"

Hero Nguyen Van Bay was not born to be a pilot. From a barefoot boy from the West, he took off flying high in the sky of the Fatherland with his strong patriotism and steely will, and then became one of the legendary pilots of the world.

He once confided to his son that “as a soldier, life and death are normal things. But fighting so that my children and grandchildren can live in peace, so that my homeland will no longer have the sound of falling bombs, that is what I worry about every time I take off”. Those words were not just the words of a soldier, but the wish of a father, a husband, a son with deep love for his country and family.

For him, “a hero is not only someone who shoots down enemy planes, but someone who conquers himself in everyday life”. Therefore, behind the halo of glorious victories, he returned in peace as a humble man, a quiet farmer, a strict but also very gentle father.

The book “Immortal Wings - The Story of the Legendary Pilot Nguyen Van Bay” depicts the life of the heroic pilot from his childhood in the Mekong Delta, his first days in the army, his arduous journey to become a pilot, to his quiet post-war years.

To tell the story of his life, to be able to “touch a more authentic, close, and complete Nguyen Van Bay, through vivid stories from the people who were with him in different stages of his life”, his son collected many pieces of memories, based on the stories from his mother, former comrades and precious remaining documents, thereby drawing the journey of a hero in the war, as well as a humble, simple farmer in the very peaceful days.

Sharing the reason for publishing the memoir about his father, Nguyen Quoc Anh said: “This book is for young people today, so that they can see that glory lies not only in the achievements engraved on stone tablets, but also in the way a person chooses to live, chooses to love, and chooses to sacrifice for things greater than themselves. The book is also for those who are far from home, so that they can feel the value of moments with family - something that my father sacrificed his youth to protect, but did not have many opportunities to enjoy. And finally, the book is for all those who believe that, whether heroes or ordinary people, family and homeland are always the warmest fire, the place where the heart turns, no matter how many bombs or storms they go through.”

Nearly 200 pages long, “Immortal Wings - The Story of Legendary Pilot Nguyen Van Bay” is not a book about exploits, but takes readers through many emotional levels of pride, admiration, emotion and admiration through each slice of an extraordinary life.

Legendary pilot Nguyen Van Bay lived a life without regrets and that is also an inspirational story for many young generations today and tomorrow.

The book, jointly published by Waka Books and The Gioi Publishing House, was officially launched to readers nationwide on May 15, 2025.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/sach-ve-cuoc-doi-cua-phi-cong-huyen-thoai-nguyen-van-bay-702009.html