HÀ NỘI — A special publication depicting the great life and revolutionary career of President Hồ Chí Minh, the founder and architect of the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam – the first people's democratic state in Southeast Asia – has been introduced to book enthusiasts.

The book, Hồ Chí Minh - Tiểu Sử Bằng Hình (Hồ Chí Minh - A Biographical Portrait), is published by Đông A and the University of Pedagogy Publishing House on the occasion of the August Revolution and National Day.

It is divided into seven main sections: childhood and growth (1890–1911); wandering in search of a path to save the nation (1911–1924); revolutionary activities abroad (1924–1941); leading the August General Uprising (1941–1945); leading the resistance against the French (1945–1954); leading the resistance against the Americans and national unification (1954–1969); and the legacy of Hồ Chí Minh.

The book vividly recounts nearly the entire dynamic and rich revolutionary life of President Hồ Chí Minh. It begins with his departure from the Nhà Rồng Port in search of a path to save the nation, travelling through various countries and continents. He became the first Vietnamese communist, actively participating in the international communist movement and later founding the Communist Party of Việt Nam in 1930.

Through years of imprisonment and hardship, he returned to his homeland to lead the revolution and launched the August General Uprising in 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam. Alongside the fledgling revolutionary government, he entered into a prolonged resistance against the French, achieving the historic victory at Điện Biên Phủ in 1954. He continued to lead the entire military and nation in the struggle against the Americans, aiming for national unification, until his passing.

Each page of the book offers a small story about a fragment of President Hồ Chí Minh's life, collectively creating a relatively complete portrait of the modern leader of the Vietnamese nation.

There is a brief summary of the global situation corresponding to each phase of his life and career at the end of each section. This allows readers to gain a broader perspective on the contemporary world and deepen their understanding of Uncle Hồ's journey from Sen Village to the Presidential Palace.

Hồ Chí Minh - A Biographical Portrait tells its story not only through text but also through images, featuring nearly 700 photographs, illustrations, artefacts and monuments, along with some maps and diagrams. Many of the portrait photographs and valuable documents included in the book were collected by Đông A from the French Overseas Archives Centre in Aix-en-Provence (ANOM), which houses an extensive collection of around 8,000 pages of documents on President Hồ Chí Minh, as well as from various museums in Việt Nam.

The editorial team for the book consists of experienced editors from Đông A and collaborators with expertise in publishing and history. Additionally, the content advisory board includes specialists from various fields, ensuring the accuracy and depth of the information presented, such as Associate Professor Dr Trần Đức Cường – Chairman of the Vietnam Historical Science Association; historian Dương Trung Quốc – Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Việt Nam Historical Science Association and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine Xưa & Nay (Past & Present).

The work is released in two editions: standard and special. The first comes with a dust jacket and features full-colour printing on 150gsm couche paper. It measures 25 x 30cm and contains 324 pages. The cover prominently displays a portrait of Nguyễn Ái Quốc from 1924, while the inner cover is gold-embossed with a portrait of President Hồ Chí Minh.

Meanwhile, the special edition is limited to 100 copies for collectors. Bound in leather from Alran (France) in a vibrant piment colour, it features handcrafted bookbinding combined with painting in the cosway binding style (a technique that originated in early England). The cover showcases a portrait of President Hồ Chí Minh created with lacquer.

According to Director of Đông A Cultural Company Trần Đại Thắng, the lacquer material used in the special edition serves as an alternative, preserving the essence of cosway binding while adding a touch of traditional culture, where the spiritual heritage of the nation harmonises with classic European bookbinding techniques. — VNS