HÀ NỘI — Kim Đồng Publishing House has released a book about President Hồ Chí Minh and the two great resistance wars of the Vietnamese people written by Italian journalists Paolo Bracaglia Morante and Camillo Pisani, illustrated by artist Pino Dangelico.

The book was published in Italy in 1968 under the title Ho Ci Min – Un uomo e un popolo (Hồ Chí Minh – A Man and a People).

Nearly 60 years later, the Italian-language book has been translated and introduced to Vietnamese readers, coinciding with the 135th anniversary of President Hồ Chí Minh's birth (May 19, 1890 – May 19, 2025), under the title Hồ Chí Minh – Một Con Người Và Một Dân Tộc (Hồ Chí Minh – A Man and a Nation).

The special original publication was presented by the Italy-Việt Nam Friendship Association of the Veneto region to the Hồ Chí Minh Museum and was later donated to Kim Đồng Publishing House.

The Vietnamese edition was translated by Bùi Thị Thái Dương with editing support from the Hồ Chí Minh Museum and Associate Professor Dr Đinh Quang Hải from the Institute of History under the Việt Nam Academy of Social Sciences. 

Hồ Chí Minh – A Man and a Nation is presented in an attractive format, large size and a dignified hardcover with 204 pages filled with emotional reflections on the life of President Hồ Chí Minh — “a legendary life that is both the story of a person, of a nation and of the contemporary world.”

A rare publication that depicts the life of Uncle Hồ in comic book form, it also includes carefully researched analytical articles and valuable documents, images and photographs.

From the 1960s, the image and thoughts of Hồ Chí Minh transcended the borders of Việt Nam and became a source of inspiration for many countries and nations.

The book takes readers on his life journey from the time young Nguyễn Sinh Cung witnessed the brutality of the feudal puppet regime to becoming Nguyễn Ái Quốc and later Hồ Chí Minh, who led the revolutionary movement of the Vietnamese people to a glorious victory.

Associate Professor Dr Đinh Quang Hải said: “This book brings a new perspective, a fresh approach and rich, diverse and reliable data. It has been thoroughly researched, compiled and presented with great care and seriousness, offering high quality.

“I highly value the significance of this book, especially in educating the younger generation.”

Vice President and General Secretary of the Việt Nam-Italy Friendship Association Trần Thanh Quyết co-wrote in the foreword of the book: “This small book is a spiritual gift from our Italian friends – who always admire the revolutionary path, life and thoughts of President Hồ Chí Minh – one of the great global symbols of the aspiration for independence, freedom and peace.” 

Vũ Thị Quỳnh Liên, Deputy Director and Editor-in-Chief of Kim Đồng Publishing House, expressed the hope that Hồ Chí Minh – A Man and a Nation would inspire young readers to continue exploring and preserving the legacy of President Hồ Chí Minh while further nurturing their love for their homeland and aspiration to build a strong nation as it steps into the era of the nation’s rise.

At the book launch on May 16, Kim Đồng Publishing House will organise a presentation, discussion and exhibition themed From Italy to Việt Nam: A Portrait of Uncle Hồ Through the Pages, featuring two specialist speakers: Dr Chu Đức Tính, former Director of the Hồ Chí Minh Museum, and Associate Professor Dr Đinh Quang Hải, former Director of the Institute of History and former Editor-in-Chief of Nghiên Cứu Lịch Sử (Historical Research) Journal.

The event will take place on May 16 at 9.30am in the auditorium of the publishing house, located at 55 Quang Trung, in Hà Nội's Hai Bà Trưng District. — VNS