Throughout the history of Vietnam's feudal system, there were kings who were immortalized in history books for their valiant battles against foreign invaders or great contributions to the nation's development. There are also tyrants, or those who are so engrossed in debauchery that they are dethroned and lose their kingdom... But Bao Dai, in particular, is almost solely remembered for one fact: he is the Emperor, the final emperor of medieval Vietnam.
The life of this king is still littered with tales, many of which are utterly false. The author has focused on citing various local and foreign documents, including Bao Dai's close friends and his own memoir bearing the name of Bao Dai, in order to assist readers understand more about the last king of the Nguyen Dynasty in Vietnam. The title Le Dragon d'Annam (ie Dragon of Annam) was published in France in 1980 in the hopes of highlighting the main features of Bao Dai's portrait, as well as assisting readers in partially deciphering the secrets above, and at the same time providing a more realistic view of Bao Dai, who gave up his position as emperor in 1945 to become a new citizen of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.