The Little Prince

Saint-Exupéry:
A
Short
Biography
His friends called him Saint-Ex. In reality, he was
named Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. He is one of the
greatest French writers. He is also one of the
pioneers of aviation. Here is his story.
Saint-Exupéry was born in Lyon in 1900. At an early
age, he dreamt of adventure. His greatest ambition
was to be an officer in the Navy. In order to become a

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Naval officer, one had to pass a very difficult exam.
Saint-Exupéry took the exam and failed... there was,
fortunately, another solution-- aviation. At this time,
aviation was extremely dangerous. Danger, risk-- this
is precisely for what Saint-Exupéry wished. During
his military service, he learned to pilot airplanes.
Saint-Exupéry had only one idea in his head: to fly.
After his military service, he presented himself to the
director of an airline company and expressed to him
his desire to become a pilot. The director told him,
"Do like everyone else. First, you must become a
mechanic."
Saint-Exupéry worked to become a mechanic. In
1927, he finally reached his goal. He was the pilot of
a formation. He completed dangerous missions over
the Mediterranean, over the Sahara. He had many
accidents over the middle of the desert. Later, he was
named the director of his own aviation company in
South America. There also, he accomplished many
dangerous missions over the Andes.
For Saint-Exupéry, flying wasn't just piloting an
airplane. It was also meditating, reflecting. During his
missions, Saint-Exupéry thought deeply about
solitude, friendship, the meaning of life, the human
condition, and liberty. He published his reflections.
His books had immediate success.
Unfortunately, the aviation company for which Saint-
Exupéry worked was having serious financial
problems. Saint-Exupéry had to quit the company. He
became a journalist. He went to Spain, Russia, and
Germany. He flew when he could.
In 1939, France went to war with Germany. Saint-
Exupéry enlisted immediately in the army. Defeat
came soon. France was occupied by Hitler's troops.
Saint-Exupéry didn't accept the defeat. He decided to
leave France. He settled in the United States, where he
continued to write. It was in New York that he
published The Little Prince, one of his most
celebrated books.
In 1942, American troops landed in North Africa.
Saint-Exupéry decided to join the American army. At

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age 42, he volunteered to be a pilot. He was told that
he was too old. He persisted. Finally he obtained
satisfaction. He was given an airplane. He
accomplished many missions over occupied France.
On the 31st of July, 1944, Saint-Exupéry left for his
last mission. His airplane was destroyed by Germans
over the Mediterranean. On that day, Saint-Exupéry
didn't return... in the open sky, he found risk, death,
and glory.

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