 Talks "Memories of Dien Bien Phu – Witnesses Speak Out" (the book's author, Professor Pierre Journoud, sitting in the center). Photo: Kim Thanh/VOV
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The book is the result of the authors' rigorous work on more than 700 testimonies of witnesses who are former French officers and soldiers of the historic Dien Bien Phu Campaign. It was published in France in 2004 and republished in 2012 and 2021.
 Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Duc Son, Principal of Hanoi University of Education addressing the book launch ceremony. Photo: Kim Thanh/VOV
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Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duc Son, Principal of Hanoi National University of Education, said that the book tells the historical stories of the French army in the battle of Dien Bien Phu.
“The 430-page book of Vietnamese translation shows the meticulousness of a truly historical work. Not only do we encounter new sources of material about a battle that changed world history, but researchers and teachers also see historical methods that are seriously and fairly applied as well as the authors’ respect for history," Son said.
"The book has gone 20 years since its first publication in France. Now as we are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, many witnesses are no longer with us but their memories help us relive those heroic and tragic days.”
 Ms. Sophie Maysonnave, Counsellor for Cultural Cooperation and Activities at the French Embassy in Vietnam and Director of the French Institute in Vietnam, speaking at the launch ceremony. Photo: Kim Thanh/VOV
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Sophie Maysonnave, Counsellor for Cultural Cooperation and Activities at the French Embassy in Vietnam and Director of the French Institute in Vietnam, said the translation and publication of the book in Vietnamese has symbolic significance for Vietnam-France relations, because the book helps both sides better understand the past and better prepare for the future.
“This book is highly representative for many reasons. First, this book was actually made possible by witnesses from both sides, an important factor in recreating historical truth. It was studied carefully by Vietnamese translators to verify the accuracy of the data. So history is recreated in the most truthful way. This helps us prepare for the future because we need to understand the past to move forward," she said.