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Rating: 
Summary: What's the point?
Review: In this autobiographical story, Saint-Ex tells of the already lost battle he found himself in during 1940 in desperate, war-torn France. He and his crew get sent on a hopeless reconnoissance flight mission over the burning City of Arras. Faced with almost certain imminent death, he is brought to the point of where he can't help but ask himself: "Where's the sense in all this? What am I doing? Why am I doing this?" And as we live through the harrowing experience with him, he lets us see into his heart and mind as he tries to find some answers.. What he comes up with is defined by solid thought resulting from acute observation (Metaphysics my foot!) of man and mankind, certainly more poignant now than ever and therefore surely timeless... And since it's Saint-Ex who relates all this in his unique humble-but-not-so-humble and profoundly human style, this is not only an exciting read about a dangerous time, but it is infused with charme and humour like some superb wine with its unique flavour and aroma. A great little book by a great man.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: One of the best books I've ever read or reread(3 times). Capsulates, no frills (no sentimentalism, or excessive religious gushings), what makes human beings so incredible, especially in face of imminent death -- their humor, their compassion. Also, a well to be remembered reminder to us Americans of the hundreds of thousand Europeans who lost their lives BEFORE we entered World War II. A very forgiving attitude to our procrastination. A must book to be read -- right up there with the likes of Camus
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: Quite exquisite writing. One sentence in book interesting for parshah.. 3 mile island.. hebrew..if you wish to be where it is all happening, stand in the place where you are.. maybe you'll be able to see REM in St.-Exupery's version If you maintain a bicycle on an infinite Peano curve on a Galerkin disc, you find that at the event horizon, 3 miles out from hot bath, and dry clothes, the bicycle locked .. it is a little more than a hour to get home as humans walk near the speed... 3 miles per hour
Rating:
Summary: excellent philosophy and a look at a slice of history
Review: the book is st.-ex's thoughts and reflections as he flies a suicide recon mission during WW2. it is not an action novel, but does have some exiting parts to it. it is a thoughtful look at life. the book is not just an interesting look into the mind of someone on a doomed mission, but is motivating, thougth provoking and insightful, and has some great lines to live by. i liked it better than his other book wind, sand and stars, and my copy is all marked up and highlighted and i refer back to it often. i would reccommend this book without hesitation.
Rating:
Summary: What's the point?
Review: This is an intellectually emotional musing of a pilot while on a reconnaisance mission in the midst of the hopeless Battle of France in the summer of 1940. Do not expect graphic descriptions of air combat, for only one eventful, though dangerous mission was told, interspersed by Saint-Ex's recollection of the human virtues and the war itself. In this work he delves with clear logic about life and the meaning of life, of loyalty, love of country, the meaning and feeling of facing mortal danger while looking through his life in one slow kaleidoscope. It is easy to see the prevailing athmosphere of defeatism that have enveloped France, and his writing was no exception, though justified. France cannot go it alone, with its 40 million against the 80 million (population) across the Rhine, and how the way of life that predominate in his country differs from its more industrial neighbor. One of the great modern French stylist, Saint-Ex must have given headaches to the translator, for he wrote in a lyric poetic fashion difficult to translate (this is the Lewis Galantiere translation). One must pose occasionally to savor his prose. Here in colorful intensity he lays down in vivid detail his humanity and shows what made his writing different from other aviation literature. His popularity is such that people sometimes stresses the "Saint" in his name in order to prop him higher than the rank of hero worship. But his life does not fit that image. A man of many talents---cardplayer, mathematician, caricaturist, chess player, poet, writer and of course, aviator---he was however a baffling personality who defied straight description: A gifted mathematician, he rejected that intellectual circle; a man who likes action, he hated to exercise; one of the great writers of France, he did not wish to be a professional writer; a skeptic, he wanted to believe in God. There are critics who described his writing as sentimental hogwash, the harbinger of hollow ideas, the man who can "replace the human brain with an aeroplane engine", et al..but his writings displayed (in this reviewer's modest opinion) a noble image, and for good or bad, he must be judged in the end by what he wrote. The sale of his books speaks for itself. This is a highly recommended reading experience.
Rating:
Summary: Written with great style...
Review: This is an intellectually emotional musing of a pilot while on a reconnaisance mission in the midst of the hopeless Battle of France in the summer of 1940. Do not expect graphic descriptions of air combat, for only one eventful, though dangerous mission was told, interspersed by Saint-Ex's recollection of the human virtues and the war itself. In this work he delves with clear logic about life and the meaning of life, of loyalty, love of country, the meaning and feeling of facing mortal danger while looking through his life in one slow kaleidoscope. It is easy to see the prevailing athmosphere of defeatism that have enveloped France, and his writing was no exception, though justified. France cannot go it alone, with its 40 million against the 80 million (population) across the Rhine, and how the way of life that predominate in his country differs from its more industrial neighbor. One of the great modern French stylist, Saint-Ex must have given headaches to the translator, for he wrote in a lyric poetic fashion difficult to translate (this is the Lewis Galantiere translation). One must pose occasionally to savor his prose. Here in colorful intensity he lays down in vivid detail his humanity and shows what made his writing different from other aviation literature. His popularity is such that people sometimes stresses the "Saint" in his name in order to prop him higher than the rank of hero worship. But his life does not fit that image. A man of many talents---cardplayer, mathematician, caricaturist, chess player, poet, writer and of course, aviator---he was however a baffling personality who defied straight description: A gifted mathematician, he rejected that intellectual circle; a man who likes action, he hated to exercise; one of the great writers of France, he did not wish to be a professional writer; a skeptic, he wanted to believe in God. There are critics who described his writing as sentimental hogwash, the harbinger of hollow ideas, the man who can "replace the human brain with an aeroplane engine", et al..but his writings displayed (in this reviewer's modest opinion) a noble image, and for good or bad, he must be judged in the end by what he wrote. The sale of his books speaks for itself. This is a highly recommended reading experience.
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