Having only read THE LITTLE PRINCE, I decided to read some of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's other books when I found a few of them at a used book store. This book tells through his own letters and speeches and some writings, Saint-Exupery's life during the Second World War as he tried to find work fighting for the French and Americans as a pilot. We get a strong sense of his emotions and life during this time until his disappearance in 1944. I am not sure it was the best book for me to start with as it is less of his writings, and more of a memoir. I think I will explore his other writings now.

Memorie e riflessioni complesse, necessiterebbe di una maggiore consapevolezza dell'autore e del suo ambiente oltre che di se stessi

A great foray into the life of a great pilot, author, and man. A must-read for all WWII buffs and Saint-Ex fans.

Un ouvrage à lire pour tous les super-fans d’Antoine de Saint-Exupery...c’est à dire moi.

On y retrouve des écrits divers...des méditations politiques, sur la guerre, sa souffrance de voir la France divisée.

Très intéressant livre qui nous permet d’approfondir le personnage qu’était Mr. de Saint-Exupery.

A collection of his various writings and letters as well as an account of how his final flight ended when he was pursued by German planes and was either shot down or simply forced to crash into the Mediterranean. I thought I had read or at least dipped into all of his published writings, but until recently was unaware of this collection.

These writings fill out what was going on (but un-aknowledged) in his book "Flight to Arras." During that time he was hiding (in order to be able to continue flying as France was being invaded) a serious infection resulting in periods of high fever which turned out to be the result of injuries he had received in one of his early crashes. The book covers the period when he was still flying as Germany took over and then the period when he was frustrated by being in the U.S., but wrote "The Little Prince" as well as "Flight to Arras." Then his struggles to return to flying reconnaissance for his French squadron attached to the U.S. Army Air Forces in spite of his advanced age(for a pilot of fighter planes) and his struggles with health. In this book you learn how Saint-Exupery was vilified for his distrust of and not being willing to support General de Gaulle, all the while continuing to fight to regain French independence. Some of the included pieces add to his body of philosophical writings and expression of ethical grounding.

If you appreciate St. Exupery's writing, this is essential reading.

This collection includes Tonio's "Letter to a Hostage" which alone is worth any price you might pay for this book. In its 17 pages the very essence of Antoine's soul are condensed. Beautiful, true, and tear-jerking, it's one of the greatest things I've ever read - basically on par with The Little Prince or Wind, Sand and Stars, which are two of the best books yet written. And this letter is just a fraction of what's in the 215 pages of this completely essential collection. Mostly consisting of letters, we read of an Antoine that he never let himself show in public, only bearing his soul and torment to his closest friends. At many times it is a bleak read, but always infinitely honest, pure, and inspiring. Antoine solidifies his reputation as one of the best examples of that elusive near-myth: an actual, great human being.

Out of my usual genre and I'm so glad my first foray into war literature was through the mind behind The Little Prince and other notable books that came before. This book is full of despair, but also love and tenderness for family and friends he wasn't afraid to bare his heart to, and rich, desperate philosophy of nationality, individuality, and morality in times of war and of peace. I found this a slow-paced read but I gained so much by sitting at St-Ex's side as he wrote his introspective letters. I grieved him as I closed the book.

I first read this when I was seventeen and the library copy is marked up in my penciled underlinings. It was the first time I'd met a kindred spirit in a writer, and St. Ex's thoughts and feelings are still so alive and essential all these years later.

An interesting look at a prolific and unfortunately short lived career

This collection includes Tonio's "Letter to a Hostage" which alone is worth any price you might pay for this book. In its 17 pages the very essence of Antoine's soul are condensed. Beautiful, true, and tear-jerking, it's one of the greatest things I've ever read - basically on par with The Little Prince or Wind, Sand and Stars, which are two of the best books yet written. And this letter is just a fraction of what's in the 215 pages of this completely essential collection. Mostly consisting of letters, we read of an Antoine that he never let himself show in public, only bearing his soul and torment to his closest friends. At many times it is a bleak read, but always infinitely honest, pure, and inspiring. Antoine solidifies his reputation as one of the best examples of that elusive near-myth: an actual, great human being.

Frighteningly relevant in today’s day and age.
St Exupery’s wartime writings touch on the big questions in regards to Human Beings’s search for purpose, community and the greater good.
Reading this, I kept thinking about how much worse off we are today and how so many of the things he rails against: modernisation, capitalism, industrialisation, dehumanisation, the loss of spirituality, humanity’s loss of a sense of home and community….
The list goes on. Every page has something insightful or thought provoking to say, every page feels fresh and relevant.
Truly inspiring writing.

First-class, first-person history of a dramatic time. The only possible regret is that Saint-Exupéry didn't survive to contribute to the literary and political path of post-war France.