The Prince of the Skies
A spellbinding biographical novel about the author of The Little Prince
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2.5 • 2 Ratings
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
From the bestselling author of The Librarian of Auschwitz, Antonio Iturbe, comes a captivating historical novel based on a true story – the extraordinary life and mysterious death of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince. (Now in its 80th Anniversary year!)
Flying. Love. War. For some men everything is an adventure . . .
All Antoine de Saint Exupéry wants to do is be a pilot. But flying is a dangerous dream and one that sets him at odds with his aristocratic background and the woman he loves. Despite attempts to keep him grounded, Antoine is determined to venture forwards into the unknown. Together with his friends, Jean and Henri, he will pioneer new mail routes across the globe and help change the future of aviation. In the midst of his adventures, Antoine also begins to weave a children's story that is destined to touch the lives of millions of readers around the world. A story called The Little Prince . . .
Fame and fortune may have finally found Antoine, but as the shadow of war begins to threaten Europe, he's left to wonder whether his greatest adventure is yet to come . . .
Translated by Lilit Žekulin Thwaites, The Prince of the Skies is a moving tale of love and friendship, war and heroism, and the power of the written word.
Praise for The Prince of the Skies:
'I adored the character of Antoine' - Gill Paul, author of The Secret Wife
'What a beautiful, thought-provoking read' - Jennifer Ryan author of The Chilbury's Ladies Choir and The Kitchen Front
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Iturbe (The Librarian of Auschwitz) exuberantly tells the story of author Antoine de Saint-Expuery and his passion for flying, poetry, and beautiful women. In 1922, Saint-Ex meets fellow pilots Jean Mermoz and Henri Guillaumet, and they become pioneering aviators, opening up mail routes in North Africa and South America for Aeropostale. As the years pass, their paths cross and re-cross through crashes, rescues, deaths and enormous changes in aviation technology. Mermoz goes on to become the most famous pilot in France, and Saint-Ex a celebrated author. Both have marriages that crash and burn, and the one constant is their love of flying. When France declares war on Germany in 1939, Saint-Ex volunteers at 40 for the army and flies hazardous reconnaissance missions. Then, his American editor asks if he would like to write a children's book for Christmas—and a literary legend is born. The author does a wonderful job of dramatizing how exhilarating and dangerous the early years of civil aviation were for a handful of bold and intrepid pilots. He also recreates in sparking fashion interwar French society. Saint-Ex, his colleagues, and their loves come to life in a novel that would do the author of The Little Prince proud.
