“Bien Ban Chien Tranh 1-2-3-4.75” novel discussed

A seminar on the historical novel “Bien Ban Chien Tranh 1-2-3-4.75” (War Minutes January-April, 1975) by veteran journalist Tran Mai Hanh was held in Hanoi on April 16, providing in-depth analysis of the work.
A seminar on the historical novel “Bien Ban Chien Tranh 1-2-3-4.75” (War Minutes January-April, 1975) by veteran journalist Tran Mai Hanh was held in Hanoi on April 16, providing in-depth analysis of the work.

Released by the National Political Publishing House in 2014, the novel won the highest prize in the prose category by the Vietnam Writer’s Association.

It covers the historic fall of the American-backed Saigon regime and the fate of most of its leaders.

The 19-chapter novel is based on interviews with and confessions from figures in key positions in the Saigon regime. It depicts the collapse of defence lines around Saigon in detail by drawing on original telegraphs, meeting minutes from regime leaders, newspaper articles and Saigon radio broadcasts between January and April of 1975.

In the 2015 reprint of the novel, the publishing house added 21 documents collected by Hanh after April 30, 1975, which were considered top secret minutes of the puppet government.

Literature reviewer Bui Viet Thang said the piece helps readers understand the internal situation of the regime and the causes behind its collapse.

Hanh, a journalist of the Vietnam News Agency, was a member of the agency's special mission to cover key military units that marched south to liberate Saigon in the spring of 1975. He now works as a senior advisor of the To Quoc online newspaper.-VNA

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