ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY
French author (1900-1944)
Biography:
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born in Lyon on 29th June 1900. He always dreamt of adventure and he wanted to become an officer in the Navy. He studied Fine Arts and passed his test to become a pilot in 1921. He flew over the desert many times and had several accidents. His first published book was Courrier Sud, and in 1939, when the war broke up, he wrote Citadelle, his most ambitious work.
His carreer as writer and as pilot are intrinsecally related, for you cannot separate one from the other. Most of his books have aviation as a main theme, like in Vol de nuit (1931).
The Little Prince, written in 1943, is Saint-Exupery's most remarkable novel. Although at first sight it appears to be a simple children's tale, The Little Prince is actually a profound and deeply moving book written in riddles and laced with philosophy and poetic metaphors.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry on the Internet:
Saint-Exupery's official site, in French.