Cover of the biography 'Người Đi Muôn Trùng Non Nước' (The One Who Travels Across Boundless Rivers and Mountains) by author Trình Quang Phú. — Photo nld.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — The active and civic‑minded youth of President Hồ Chí Minh is vividly portrayed in the newly published biography Người Đi Muôn Trùng Non Nước (The One Who Travels Across Boundless Rivers and Mountains).

Written by professor Trình Quang Phú, PhD, the 600‑page volume traces a formative period in Hồ Chí Minh’s life, beginning with his childhood as Nguyễn Sinh Cung and culminating in the moment Nguyễn Tất Thành departed from Nhà Rồng Wharf, determined to embark on a journey in search of a path to national salvation.

While earlier works have traced his revolutionary activities abroad, this biography focuses on the years before he adopted the name Nguyễn Ái Quốc in 1919, when he submitted a petition to the Versailles Conference in France – an act that marked the start of a dynamic period of revolutionary activity closely associated with that name, until he later became Hồ Chí Minh.

The biography leads readers through familiar yet evocative landscapes: from Kim Liên (Nam Đàn), Huế, Quy Nhơn and Phan Thiết to Sài Gòn. At each stage, Nguyễn Sinh Cung – later Nguyễn Tất Thành – gradually formed a love for his homeland, compassion for others and a growing sense of national independence, shaped by his family, patriotic scholars, and the everyday concerns of youth.

At the book launch in HCM City on January 4, the 86-year-old Phú admitted that writing about Hồ Chí Minh’s early years was a task filled with both reflection and pressure.

“Out of more than 100 million Vietnamese people, each carries a beloved image of Uncle Hồ in their hearts. The greatest challenge is how to write in a way that readers can accept, without imposing the image of a national leader onto his childhood,” Phú said.

Writer and scholar Trình Quang Phú has published eight books on President Hồ Chí Minh. — Photo nld.com.vn

A central theme of the book is the role of his father, scholar Nguyễn Sinh Sắc, in shaping the character, thought and destiny of Nguyễn Sinh Cung. Through Phú’s narrative, Sắc emerges not only as a Confucian scholar, but also as a far-sighted father, quietly guiding and protecting his son and laying the foundation for his later decision to embark on the journey to save the nation. Phú describes him as a great father, worthy of recognition as a remarkable historical figure.

Nguyễn Bình Phương, editor‑in‑chief of Văn Nghệ Quân Đội (Military Literature and Arts Journal) and vice chairman of the Việt Nam Writers’ Association, praised Người Đi Muôn Trùng Non Nước as a biography with a tightly structured form and rich literary quality. He noted that writing about a figure as significant as Hồ Chí Minh is a formidable challenge, since the author must remain faithful to the essence of both events and character.

“The success of writer Trình Quang Phú lies in the fact that he has ‘painted the seed of a great tree’, allowing Nguyễn Sinh Cung to appear true to the psychology and awareness of a boy, a young man growing up, without being overshadowed retrospectively by the towering image of Hồ Chí Minh,” he said.

The work also touches upon Hồ Chí Minh’s first love with Lê Thị Huệ – a detail highlighted by writer Phương as an illustration of his quiet sacrifice in placing national ideals above personal happiness.

Ultimately, Người Đi Muôn Trùng Non Nước enriches the biography of President Hồ Chí Minh while offering today’s readers a humane and intimate portrait of his youth – one that encourages reflection and inspires people to live with ideals, responsibility and a sense of duty toward the nation.

This biography follows earlier works by Phú, including Từ Làng Sen Đến Bến Nhà Rồng (From Sen Village to Nhà Rồng Wharf) and Theo Dấu Chân Người (Following in President Hồ’s Footsteps) – a book that Phú spent 28 years completing. — VNS