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 Hanhwas held in Hanoi on April 16, providing in-depth analysis of the work.

Releasedby the National Political Publishing House in 2014, the novel won thehighest 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 fromfigures in key positions in the Saigon regime. It depicts the collapseof defence lines around Saigon in detail by drawing on originaltelegraphs, meeting minutes from regime leaders, newspaper articles andSaigon radio broadcasts between January and April of 1975.

Inthe 2015 reprint of the novel, the publishing house added 21 documentscollected by Hanh after April 30, 1975, which were considered top secretminutes of the puppet government.

Literature reviewer BuiViet Thang said the piece helps readers understand the internalsituation of the regime and the causes behind its collapse.

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