Wartime Writings 1939-1944 by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Wartime Writings 1939-1944 Reviews

• 
  Eric Hinkle

  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.
• 
  Eric Hinkle

  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.
• 
  Zach

  Although I have poured over Saint-Ex's The Little Prince many times, this is my first foray into his other works. WOW. I look forward to reading every sentence of his I can find. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry writes with an intelligence (of both mind & heart) that is on fire, a white light-white heat variety, and he blazes new trails in the reader's mind & heart.
  
  "If you were just soldiers, I would speak to you as soldiers. I would say: 'Put aside all other problems, there is only one that counts: fighting.' But you are young and your responsibility is greater even than that of soldiers. Yours is a dual responsibility: You are ready to fight for liberty, but you must also explain it and build it." (From 1941)
  
  "The traveler who crosses a mountain in the direction of a star runs the risk of forgetting which is his guiding star if he concentrates too exclusively on the climbing problems." (From 1943)
  
  "War must be waged . . . but, as the fundamental problem is never tackled, this war will only end with the momentary exhaustion of one of the adversaries." (From 1940)
  
  
• 
  Catie

  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.
• 
  Christine

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

  
  
  An interesting look at a prolific and unfortunately short lived career
• 
  Clay Olmstead

  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.
• 
  Paul

  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.
• 
  Jean Dupenloup

  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.
• 
  Anna

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

  Even his correspondence is ingenious.