Sand and Stars (Harvest Book), Wind

St.-Exupery led a life full of adventure and danger, and he chronicles it in an engaging way. And all the adventures and descriptions of people and things give rise to philosophizing or musing on life and the human condition. Wonderfully well-written to judge by the translation. Very glad to have read this book.

Bill Allen.

This book by the well-known pilot-humanist is (of course) very well written. But personally I would have liked some more "technical" aviation data, e.g. on his plane, the "Simoun". I also own "The little Prince" and "Night flight " by St. Exupery.

Crazy thing: i was looking everywhere for Exupery's one most famous book (Planet of people - this is this book's true name), couldn't find it. Well, US edition is called "Wind, Sad and Stars"... ha...
Anyway, I am a huge fan of Exupery, I think, he is one of best 20th-century authors, but this translation of his book, in my humble opinion, just is not the best... Still, read it, really...

Antoine clearly expresses the true and connecting value of our humanity, uncovers for us what is just below the surface, and UNITES US all with clear examples of self truths that we have missed all along the way. This is one of the most powerful and interesting books I have ever read.

This book enjoys such exalted status in the realm of aviation literature that it's hard to give it a lukewarm rating. "St.-Ex" handles straightforward narrative very well, but when he tries to capture the beauty and danger of early flight, his writing flourishes are over the top. That said, readers who loved his book "Night Flight" should love this one, too.

Wind, Sand and Stars is the most beautifully written book. Most people are familiar with The Little Prince but until you read Wind, Sand and Stars you will not fully appreciate Saint-Exupery. What a beautiful mind and soul. If you take the time to read this jewel of a book you will be touched by its beauty

I absolutely felt lifted above the earth, into the French author's big world view of 1936, as he spoke of his adventures and thoughts about life from the vantage point of an early aviator. Please read this book!

the first and last chapters were philosophical reviews of life (comparing the exciting aspects of flying which makes life seem so vibrant) against the mundane life of bureaucrats and peasants who live and die without seeing the world (as he does from the air). A line in the closing chapter is poignant: the infant that he is sitting next to has the potential to be anything and everything; but due to its parents and its probable future life, it wont ever realize its potential (they killed Mozart).

the second to last chapter is a number of stories of the war in Spain (Franco; remember this was written about the late 1920s to the 1930s), with people fighting; it's a social commentary on war from the perspective of life and death (and has NOTHING to do with flying). This is a very long chapter (50 pages out of a 229 page book) and I was disappointed because I was'nt into reading about this.

all the other chapters were of flying (and crashing, such as surviving in the desert), were good, and I wished there were more of them.

overall, its an uneven book because it covers more areas than just flying (or even flying from the perspective of life & death). As a recommendation, I could take it or leave it.

I loved the first three or four chapters. They were full of adventure and wonderful prose about flying and life and being a man. But then I put it down because after the first chapters there was less adventure or pleasant prose. The middle to second half chapters engage in an orientalizing discourse that wasn't worth continuing to read.

The famous French pilot shares some experiences of his early career. Slightly rambling, the book does have some unforgettable moments. For example his description of a night under a cloudless Sahara sky. I liked that.