Under the hammer: The books by war correspondent Bernard Fall that will be auctioned to assist Viet Nam's East Sea fishermen. — VNS Photo Phuoc Buu

THUA THIEN-HUE (VNS) — Researcher Ho Tan Phan is holding an auction of two books by war correspondent Bernard Fall to collect money for fishermen who sail the Vietnamese sea despite East Sea tensions.

The Hue-based culture researcher said he wanted to show his support for the courageous fishermen who are determined to fish on the motherland's sea.

"Selling books that I own is something normal but the key meaning of the auction is to build a strong bond between people in the country and support to Viet Nam in affirming Paracel islands, Spratly islands and sea zones belong to our motherland," he said.

The books are about the First Indo-Chinese war by the French, Viet Nam's battles in general and particularly in central Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue battlefields, where Bernard B. Fall died later in 1967.

Phan owned the English language book Street Without Joy and its French language copy La Rue Sans Joie in 1975. Street Without Joy was published in 1961 by The Stackpole Company, which is now Stackpole Book Publishing House in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (US); while La Rue Sans Joie was published in 1965.

Street Without Joy was first published in April 1961 and reprinted in September the same year due to the high demand for the book at that time. The copy that Phan owns was published in September and has a message by the author of the book in his own hand. On the second page of the book, Fall has written: "To Major Gillig, with best wishes. Ber B Fall."

Austrian-born war prominent correspondent Bernard B. Fall (November 19, 1926 – February 21, 1967), was also a historian, political scientist and an expert on Indo-china in the period between 1950 and 1960.

The two books are preserved in very good condition and researcher Phan set a starting price for Street Without Joy at US$380 while La Rue San Joie was at $230. Interested buyers can contact him on his cell phone +84905950022 or email address hotanphan.hue@gmail.com.

The funds collected will be transferred to an assistance programme for fishermen run by Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper. — VNS