In fact, the number of books with tens of thousands of publications is very rare, but what is surprising is that many history books are becoming... "hot".
Typically, the book "History of Vietnam in Pictures" by Dong A Company and the University of Pedagogy Publishing House, launched in September 2024, has been continuously ordered by many book agents because it sells well. This is proof that books "heavyweight" in both thickness (660 pages) and... pocket money (book cover price up to 900,000 VND) can still sell well, when the content is implemented seriously and attractively.
This book is truly a vivid museum printed on paper, with nearly 2,000 paintings, photos, and illustrated maps, helping readers to grasp a panoramic picture of the nation's journey of building and defending the country, from the Stone Age and Metal Age to the formation of a modern nation.
This amount of images vividly recreates historical turning points, from famous battles to typical figures. Therefore, many parents did not hesitate to "bring" a set of books home, hoping to become an attractive document for their children to learn deeply about the country's history.
Due to being carefully prepared, learning from famous encyclopedias of the world, and being supplemented at the end of each part with general articles about China and the West in the same period, helping viewers have an overview of world history.
In addition, the "Thousand Years of Civilization" section also fully gathers images reviewing outstanding achievements in many fields of our country, from literature, folk paintings, ancient sculpture, festivals, traditional music, traditional martial arts, traditional medicine... Therefore, it is not surprising that the "History of Vietnam in Pictures" has been honored with the highest ranking of the 8th National Book Award, awarded in March 2026.
In the historical field, the book "Family, Friends and Country" by former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh is a phenomenon of 2025. According to information from representatives of the National Political Publishing House - Truth shared at the end of 2025, the reprinted book has sold 67,000 copies in just 2 months. This is an impressive number for a politician's memoir.
The reason for this attraction is partly due to the influence of media campaigns related to the series of events commemorating the 80th National Day (A80), especially the spread of the movie "Red Rain" that caused public uproar, including reviewing the developments of the Paris Conference and the image of the head of the diplomatic mission of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, of which Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh is the prototype.
However, the book becoming "hot" mainly thanks to its content, because this is a memoir imbued with emotions and memories. Besides, the work attracts with the appeal of a respectable figure, affectionately called "Madame Binh" by the whole world; especially when Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh was awarded the title of Labor Hero by the President in August 2025.
Besides the stories of the "war" on the diplomatic front, the book also brings touching stories - such as childhood memories with beloved families, silent pains when having to leave husbands and children for revolutionary duties, or months in prison when the spirit did not collapse at all. Ms. Binh's own story is typical of millions of Vietnamese women in wartime - mothers and wives silently carrying the pain to bring peace to the country.
In particular, the content of the book contains interesting information about the journey of implementing the "people's diplomacy" mission of Ms. Binh and her colleagues, connecting the hearts not only of peace-loving friends around the world, but also of many politicians and heads of state. This has contributed to bringing Vietnam valuable support from international friends to win important victories on the diplomatic front.
Also a non-fiction book on historical topics, "Memories of Quang Tri" compiled by writer and journalist Nguyen Thuy Kha, was reprinted during the recent A80s and was loved by a large number of readers, especially when the need to learn about information about the Quang Tri ancient citadel battlefield in the summer of 1972 increased due to the "fever" from the movie "Red Rain".
The book brings readers a multi-dimensional view, depicting the brutality of the battle in the ancient citadel for 81 days and nights.
Thanks to its simple and truthful content, the book touches readers' feelings when they realize that the pain of soldiers does not erupt in major battles but is hidden in small details such as homesickness, the imminence of death, short-lived joy, and the contrasting mindsets of two soldiers.
Among non-fiction works on historical topics, the book "Fragments of Memories 1979 - 1989 - Stories from the Northern Border" by the author group Dao Thanh Huyen, Ha Huong and Pham Hoai Thanh (Tre Publishing House), is also successful thanks to being expressed in a multi-faceted and multi-perspective way. From the memories of 120 living witnesses, the book expresses the fight to protect the Northern border concentrated in two timelines 1979 and 1984, bringing readers values of love for peace, love for homeland, country and the indomitable will of each Vietnamese citizen.
Also belonging to the autobiography and memoir genre, the works of author Nguyen Thi Xuan Phuong such as: "Gánh gánh gồng gồng", "Khắc đi khắc đến", or of Phan Thuy Ha such as "Gia đình", "Đừng kể tên tôi", "Những ngày tháng năm" are thin slices in history, depicted from the stories of ordinary, sometimes small, but through which readers also see the general context of the country's history.
In the category of children's history stories, perhaps the most loved is the collection "Vietnamese History" in picture form by Tre Publishing House, edited by researcher Tran Bach Dang. Thanks to being expressed in the form of comics, close and attractive to children, the book collection is constantly sought after by parents and young children, so it has been reprinted more than 30 times both in the thick set version (full set of 8 volumes) or the thin set (53 volumes) and also launched in the English version.
The historical research book segment has a narrower readership, but important books can also be mentioned such as: "Vietnamese History from Origin to the Mid-20th Century" by researcher Le Thanh Khoi or "Vietnam History" by Tran Trong Kim are still selling quite well in each reprint.
For domestic authors, research books on small slices of history, such as the book "Summary of Pre-modern Vietnamese Science and Technology" by the group of authors Tran Trong Duong, Pham Vu Loc, Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Dong, published by the University of Pedagogy Publishing House in early 2026, have also been reprinted, showing positive signs of historical research books in the current publishing market.
