Today at Metro Writers we heard the heartbreaking news that Tran Mai Hanh, author of A War Account 1-2-3-4.75 and father of our esteemed colleague and friend Tran Mai Anh, passed away on April 2.
Our team at Metro Writers and Oi Vietnam worked with Mai Anh to edit the English translation of the book for release in 2016. For all involved, it was an honour to preview and closely examine the text of this extraordinary book that conveys the story of the final months of the war in 1975. The record is extraordinary and a masterpiece of war literature based entirely on contemporary documents that the young reporter personally collected by hand during that period, it is one of the most intimate accounts of the decline and fall of the Saigon administration told with journalistic integrity and without bias.
It has always been our intention at Metro Writers to ensure that this monumental work receives a wider audience. The passing of the book’s author strengthens our resolve to draw more attention to this work. While the book is currently still available in English within Vietnam, it is becoming harder to find. We intend to publish an international version in the coming months out of deep respect for Tran Mai Hanh and his family.
Metro Writers extends our deepest sympathies to the Tran family at this time and reaffirms our deep respect for Tran Mai Hanh’s lifetime of writing and journalism.