This voluminous book of more than a thousand pages introduces the portraits of 90 distinguished figures. For Professor Phong Lê, it is first of all a retrospective—a journey back to the subjects of study to which he has devoted nearly sixty years of reading, learning, and research. From the names that marked significant turning points in medieval Vietnamese literature—such as Chu Văn An, Lê Thánh Tông, Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm—to the illustrious figures like Nguyễn Du, Nguyễn Công Trứ, and Cao Bá Quát, the author gradually guides readers through the continuous flow of Vietnam’s literary tradition. Most of the remaining portraits feature the major figures who shaped the face of twentieth-century Vietnamese literature, a period when the nation was undergoing a profound transformation toward modernity. Through these portraits, the book not only sketches a comprehensive picture of the nation’s cultural journey but also opens up for readers a vast horizon—where the longing for freedom, the spirit of creativity, and the pursuit of truth and beauty come vividly to life.