
Launch of Russian edition of H.63 Intelligence Network Book: Symbol of shared sentiment between two nations
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Author Nguyen Quang Chianh speaks at the launching event. (Photo: Courtesy of Russian House) |
The bilingual launch event, featuring both Vietnamese and Russian versions, began with a short documentary introducing the H.63 Intelligence Network.
A five-year journey to tell the story of heroes
The heroic H.63 Intelligence Network was the most successful network of Vietnam's military intelligence during the resistance war against the United States. It played a crucial role in the victory that led to the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country.
For the first time, the story of the H.63 intelligence collective—a network that operated deep within enemy lines until April 30, 1975, without a single member being exposed—has been fully told in a book that has captured the interest of a wide readership.
The book recreates the quiet yet extraordinary feats of the intelligence officers, while also portraying, with authenticity, their lives and innermost thoughts during and after the war.
As if by fate, Nguyen Quang Chanh had the chance to meet the heroic intelligence agents and listen to their stories about life in the field. Captivated and deeply admiring these individuals, he felt compelled to record their simple yet heroic life stories.
Over five years of field research, the author roamed every corner of Ho Chi Minh City to meet and listen to the vivid memories of witnesses from the H.63 intelligence network. Many moving stories were documented, including those shared by People’s Armed Forces Hero Nguyen Van Tau (code name Tu Cang), the Head of the H.63 group. He recounted moments when he was on the brink of danger, needing to maintain composure under the enemy’s watch, and his daring, clever operations to rescue comrades.
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Launch of Russian edition of H.63 Intelligence Network Book: People’s Armed Forces Hero Nguyen Van Tau (Tu Cang) at the documentary film. (Photo: Courtersy Russian House) |
The book also highlights Pham Xuan An, the legendary intelligence officer admired by the CIA and Western media, whom American historian Professor Larry Berman famously called “the perfect spy.” Pham Xuan An passed on critically important intelligence information for the revolutionary cause. He was the only Vietnamese journalist working for Time magazine for 11 years, one of the most well-informed figures in Saigon during the 1960s and 1970s. Secretly, he provided invaluable information that contributed to Vietnam’s historic victory.
His documents were relayed via couriers to the Cu Chi tunnel intelligence network, then transported from Cu Chi to the command headquarters of the Liberation Army. Beyond Pham Xuan An’s quiet heroism, the book also shines a spotlight on the courage, ingenuity, and resourcefulness of the intelligence officers of the H.63 group.
An epic of silent heroism
The book “Stories about the Heroic H.63 Intelligence Network” is not merely a collection of real-life intelligence stories—it is an epic of courage and silent sacrifice, told directly by those who lived through it.
Its pages shine with deep humanity, an unyielding patriotism, and the unwavering desire for national reunification. These intelligence officers were willing to sacrifice their identities—and even their lives—to fulfill their sacred missions behind enemy lines.
At the book launch event, Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Tuan, former Director General of the Department of and Education and Information under the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army, emphasized: “This book tells the stories of the members of the H.63 Intelligence Network, including its commander Hero Nguyen Van Tau (Tu Cang), the brilliant intelligence general Pham Xuan An, liaison officers Nguyen Thi Ba, Tam Kien, and the fighters at the Ben Binh base. These loyal revolutionaries formed a strategically important people’s intelligence network.”
The translation of the book into Russian is seen as the result of a meaningful connection between people bonded by friendship and mutual respect. The original Vietnamese edition was first published in June 2023 in Vietnam. Later, in December 2023, during his first meeting with Viacheslav Kalganov, Vice Chairman of the External Relations Committee of Saint Petersburg, in Ho Chi Minh City, author Nguyen Quang Chanh presented him with a copy and shared the story behind the book.
At the suggestion of Mr. Kalganov — a great admirer of the silent achievements of the legendary H.63 unit and the perfect spy Pham Xuan An — in February 2024, the Foreign Affairs Committee of Saint Petersburg organized a series of seminars on Pham Xuan An, with author Nguyen Quang Chanh invited to online participation.
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Launch of Russian edition of H.63 Intelligence Network Book: Russian edition. (Photo: Courtesy of Russian House) |
Mr. Kalganov introduced translator Evdokia Petrunova — a former student of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Saint Petersburg State University — who holds a deep affection for Vietnam and its culture. She took on the task of translating the book from Vietnamese into Russian and completed it within four months.
The translation was then voluntarily edited and proofread free of charge by Associate Professor Dr. Ida Andreeva, a retired Russian literature expert based in Saint Petersburg. She had previously taught at Hanoi National University from 1982 to 1984, maintained close academic ties with Vietnamese scholars and artists, and has always held a deep affection for the people and country of Vietnam.
Out of her profound love for Vietnam, even at nearly 90 years old, Ida Andreeva completed the editing work in just over three months.
Both the Vietnamese and Russian editions of the book were widely published by the Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House. One hundred Russian-language copies were presented to the Russian Embassy to be gifted to Russian veterans who had supported Vietnam.
Readers admire author Nguyen Quang Chanh, who over the past five years has devoted great effort to researching and meeting with the key figures of the H.63 intelligence group. He listened to their humble accounts of the silent yet heroic achievements during the resistance war against the Americans, in order to write this authentic, compelling, and meaningful book.
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Launch of Russian edition of H.63 Intelligence Network Book: Participants at the even. (Photo: Courtesy of Russian House) |
The author shared that he, along with others who are still alive, tell these stories of unsung heroes with the hope that future generations will live in a way worthy of their ancestors — to better understand and cherish the peace they enjoy today.
The book launch was not only an opportunity for readers and journalists to engage with a significant historical work, but also a moment for collective reflection on the nation’s heroic past, and to honour those who made silent sacrifices for Vietnam’s independence, freedom, and reunification.
The simultaneous release of the book “Stories of the Heroic H.63 Intelligence Network” in both Vietnamese and Russian was seen as a unique form of “people-to-people diplomacy.” It carried profound significance in celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Russia (1950–2025), the 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2025), and the 80th anniversary of Russia’s victory in the Great Patriotic War (May 9, 1945 – May 9, 2025).