Just like everyone else on the planet, I'm a huge fan of 'Le Petit Prince'. It's a truly beautiful classic of French literature, and so enduring. I had also previously read 'Sand, Wind and Stars', which was a gorgeous ode to the thrill, terror and joy of flying. So I was absolutely delighted to receive this book from Netgalley, so as to discover more about Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Wonderfully written, 'The Prince of the Skies' is a glorious exploration of early aviation, and of a literary genius at his most alive. It is also a harrowing testimony of war - its horrors and agonies - providing a lesson that can never be overstated. A great read.

what can i say about this book other than Wow. Truly captivating and so sad this book is finished. I literally wanted to stall reading to the end simply to keep reading it. Such an emotional read. Highly recommend this book .

All Antoine de Saint Exupéry wants to do is be a pilot. But flying is a dangerous dream and one that sets him at odds with his aristocratic background and the woman he loves. Despite attempts to keep him grounded, Antoine is determined to venture forwards into the unknown. Together with his friends, Jean and Henri, he will pioneer new mail routes across the globe and help change the future of aviation. In the midst of his adventures, Antoine also begins to weave a children's story that is destined to touch the lives of millions of readers around the world. A story called The Little Prince . . . Fame and fortune may have finally found Antoine, but as the shadow of the Second World War begins to threaten Europe, he's left to wonder whether his greatest adventure is yet to come . . .
Wow what a book. I am still sat thinking about this book even though I finished it a few days ago.

Apologies for the time it has taken for me to read this wonderful book which Netgalley sent to me in exchange for an honest review. It was a book that I read slowly as I wanted to absorb the beautiful language and the excellent translation. I also wanted to think about the historical side and to do my own research. It is over forty years since I studied French and read “Le Petit Prince” but it is a book I have never forgotten. On the surface it is a simple story and an easy read but there is so much more to it that our inspiring French teacher discussed with us. He also knew a lot about the life of the author. This has remained in my memory and I was delighted to read “The Prince of the Skies”. I was certainly not disappointed.

The Little Prince is one of my favourite books, so I was very excited to be given an opportunity to read and review this, a story based on the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupery. And it did not in any way disappoint.

Intertwining the lives of three early aviation pioneers - Antoine, Jean Mermoz and Henri Guillaumet - this is a story of bravery, fortitude, determination and friendship, and it is written so beautifully. I was captivated and entranced throughout, reading about these amazing men, living their passion, no matter what. Flawed, reckless even, they were however hugely admirable and so entertaining to read about. Filled with daring, but hiding damaged souls, flying enabled them to forget everything and live purely in each moment.

I am not particularly drawn to the history of aviation, and yet, I really loved learning more about the early days of flight, and the skills it took to become a pilot. The treacherous situations they had to face when flights didn't go to plan, and ultimately, the sacrifices these men made in the name of their all-consuming passion.

A truly wonderful book that I enjoyed every second of.

I want to start my review by admitting that although I always read the blurb of a book before deciding whether to read it, I often forget what the book is about before I’m able to read it. That is exactly what happened to me with this book, and it created quite an unusual experience for me.

The Prince of the skies follows three pilots: Jean, Henri and Antoine. Their incredible friendship, amazing adventures and domestic lives are interwoven in this wonderful historical novel.

I have always wanted to read the little prince, but have never actually managed to get round to it. It wasn’t until I was about 3/4 of the way through this novel that I realised that this book is based on the author. I had spent the first chunk of the book trying to decide if it was based on the lives of men that were extremely exciting, or if it was an adventure novel that was slightly dull. It seems that these men just lived extraordinary lives, and I am so glad that I have been able to experience them through this book.

The translation was beautifully done, and although the book is a long one I enjoyed reading the entire thing. My only issue, is that I wish a note was added onto the end which indicated the true historical events. I love it when historical novels include a section on the the true history that inspired them. That being said, I don’t think I will ever look at pilots or mail carriers in quite the same way again.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical novels based on the lives of real people. Especially anyone with an interest in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I want to thank Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Antonio Iturbe for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.

A true war story. We’ll written and based on the author of the little prince.
This book shows that even the rich and famous were affected by wars and nothing can stop the pain and heartache of being separated from loved ones, even if the freedom of your country is at stake.
I loved the characters. They really brought the story to life.

Having read "The Librarian of Auschwitz" also written by Antonio Iturbe, I was quick to request his latest book The Prince of the Skies. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the latest novel as engaging or thought provoking and at times, found it quite difficult to be motivated to continue. That being said, this isn’t necessarily a fault of the way the book is written which is clearly very well researched but probably more likely that the topic didn’t appeal to me as much and personally, the story line wasn’t as emotive. Sadly not one for me but regardless, thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

“No distance was too far and no mountain too high - each letter had to reach its destination.”

This is an incredible story, based on real life events, about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - an aviator who was chosen to test new mail routes across the world during the 1920s.

Intensely gripping as Antoine as his colleagues find themselves in precarious situations: death defying crashes, heart-wrenching love affairs and unexpected opportunities..

This is a really sophisticated novel, the narrative is expressive and thought-provoking, and with war beginning to threaten Europe this book comes with dark undertones.

Content Warnings: Holocaust, War

It’s many decades since I read The Little Prince and I knew little about the author. The Prince of the Skies is a lively account of the early days of aviation and follows the path of three pilots. Air travel is something we take for granted. We forget how recent it is; as a child I remember great excitement when the Comet, the first commercial jet came into service so this book really takes the reader back a further few decades when flying was dangerous and aviators were true pioneers.

I love the sense of danger and adventure that runs through the story. It’s a lively and mainly gripping account of what must have been truly hair raising exploits from ordinary people. A fascinating insight and I enjoyed this book.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I don't know whether it was in the original or in the translation, but this bounced between present and past tense so much that I found it all but unreadable.

It's a shame because the story had a lot of interesting elements. An aristocrat wants nothing other than to fly and achieves his dream, as well as writing the story, The Little Prince. The fact that it's based on a true story makes it all the more interesting.

A better translation would make all the difference, perhaps by someone who has English as their first language.

An interesting and unusual book about an author I knew very little about. However, the book seemed overly long, and I struggled to maintain my interest at times. Not one for the general reader I think.

Thankyou for giving me the chance to read and review. Love it. I like stories with themes from the war. Probably because I was always enthralled by it at school and this had continued to adult good.

Thank you for letting me read this pre release. This wasn’t my usual type of read, however it was interesting to find out more about aviation historically and because it was based on a true story it made it even more touching.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

While I’ve read The Little Prince many times, and find it an endearing read, full of little nuggets of wisdom, I knew very little about its author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, except that he was an aristocrat, a pilot, and an author (I haven’t read his other books so far, though). So, when I spotted this book, I certainly wanted to pick it up. The Prince of the Skies, originally written in Spanish, and excellently translated by Lilit Žekulin Thwaites, tells us the story of Saint-Exupéry and his fellow pioneer pilots and friends, Jean Mermoz and Henri Guillaumet.

In the book, we trace the journey of the three friends from their initial days flying (for both Saint-Exupéry and Mermoz, this was in the army) to their joining Aéropostale, a company that flew letters to different parts of the world—here the three met and formed a life-long friendship—and thereafter, as they flew to new countries, had different experiences (including accidents in which they nearly lost their lives or those in which they were stranded in the most difficult terrains, once again facing death), but always held sacred their duty to deliver the mail. Alongside we also follow their personal stories, Saint-Exupéry’s writing career (which sadly led him to be estranged from many of his fellow pilots), their friendship with one another, and of course the war which brought new duties and challenges their way.

Saint-Exupéry, Mermoz, and Guillaumet were very different as people, though all shared a passion for flying (which was what tied them to each other). They were all also daring, and no obstacle or possible danger would deter them from flying a new or difficult route or to an unknown place. Yet all three were very different as people. Saint-Exupéry had a mind that was childlike and yet profound—like his Little Prince—seeing the world through very different eyes than others. At some level, though, he also reminded me a little of Dickens’ Harold Skimpole—living always beyond his means, and not able to ‘function’ as an adult (for instance, instead of taking notes when he was testing a plane, Saint-Exupéry was doodling). Mermoz lived life to the fullest with a voracious appetite for everything, be it flying, food, or women; a tenacious man who never gave up no matter what the challnge. Guillaumet was like them in his love for the skies, but in matters of their heart, very much in love with and loyal to his wife Noelle.

This was an enjoyable book to read giving one a picture of the initial days of aviation, the challenges pilots had to face each time they went up, and the difficult conditions which they had to navigate. Alongside, for instance, in Saint-Exupéry’s case, being manager in Cape Juby (Morocco) meant also having to develop relationships with the fiery Spanish army and also the local tribes, which he did with sensitivity; or Memoz in South America had to work out feasible routes, and also went on to establish the first ever transatlantic postal route. Flying for them was not simply about knowing how to fly a plane (those too, were not of the kind we have today), but laid the foundation for all that was to come. The challenges were many, not just from the dangers of taking to the skies, and those of being the first to do many things, but bureaucracy and politics had also to be contended with. We also get to meet Amelia Earhart and get a glimpse of the first women pilots and the challenges they faced.

I loved that the parts of the story with Saint-Exupéry also incorporated aspects from The Little Prince, incidents and scenes from the book, for instance, the elephant eaten by the boa (I kept wanting to dig out my copy and look at the illustration; ultimately I just googled it) or the taming of a gazelle (in the Little Prince, it is a fox).

The three pilots we follow were all extraordinary men, daring, adventurous, not perhaps conforming to social mores but living their lives to the fullest, in fact, much more. As their boss in Aeropostale, M. Daurat, says at one point ‘They lived each year as if it were ten. They conquered their fears, they reached amazing places where no one had been before, they overcame challenges that seemed impossible, they sacrificed themselves so that people could receive their mail in remote places. I don’t know if it was worth it, but I’m certain of one thing, they made their lives extraordinary’.

This was a wonderful and engaging read which not only told the story of these three extraordinary ‘princes’ but also made us readers feel their love for the skies!

4.5 stars.

Wow this was such a lovely book, I couldn’t stop reading it. Knowing it is based on a true person makes it all the more special. Thank you so much for allowing me the pleasure of reading this. I will be recommending this one for a long time to come

I used to dip in and out of 'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupery when I was little, touched by the character among the baobab trees, and the beautiful illustrations drawn by the author; so I was intrigued to read this novel about the author himself.

Antoine is an interesting character, living through the early 20th century, his life inevitably touched by war. His twin loves, aviation and writing, both keep him going and yet frustrate him in equal measure. His love life is colourful, and his friends are loyal and fascinating in their own rights.

A powerful and enjoyable read.

What a wonderful book this is-it’s long ,and took me some time to read ,but I was completely captivated by the story of early French aviation and the daredevil pilots who were the first to deliver mail between continents.The main character is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,probably best known in the UK for writing the children’s fable Le Petit Prince.I knew very little about him but his life was fascinating and I hope this book gives him the wider attention he deserves . He’s shown with all his faults and many good qualities, a definite larger than life character.
The book is full of adventure- the story of Henri Guillaumet’s trek through the Andes after his plane crashed will stay with me for a long time to come- and the descriptions of flying and the passion for flying of these early aviators are completely riveting.
I am sure this book is waiting to be made into a film,it’s so full of excitement and interest ,and I hope it ensures that these brave men are not forgotten.Just wonderful.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

I have always been fascinated by the early aviators - what an amazing life to be a pilot at such a formative stage of the air industry. Plus I have read and enjoyed St Exupery's Wind, Sand and Stars. So this book had immediate appeal.
I loved it - the stories of the three close friends and pioneer aviators is fascinating. Its of course about the lives (and often early deaths) of these pioneers but its as much about the profound friendships formed. Wouldn't we all try and live life to the full if tomorrow we knew our flight might be our last (at a time when one in five flights involved a mechanical failure). These guys (and gals - Earhart gets a look in too) lived life on the edge and often to excess be that sex, alcohol or spending.
The book is expertly translated and some of the descriptive writing is exceptional. In a long book (500+ pages) I only spotted one rather clunky sentence - I suspect a translation issue rather than Iturbe's writing which is always a pleasure.
My only criticism, its probably about 100 pages too long - but that is a small gripe - and overall, I would strongly recommend this book.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an early review copy.

Epic. Emotional. Thrilling! Wow! What a read this has been!! I loved The Librarian of Auschwitz so have been so eager to read this book and it has not disappointed!

This is the story of the author of The Little Prince (another favourite read of mine!) and his story has all the elements needed for an astonishing story. This is a man who was born to fly! And his dreams came true but didn't run smoothly, and that adds to the drama throughout.

The author does a brilliant job of capturing the essence of a man who was completely driven in his quest to be in the skies. He also showed how much writing meant to him, but flying was his true passion. It charts his exploits from the beginning of his flying career - the good and bad! - alongside his personal life which was never the easiest.

Alongside his story, we also get the story of his 2 closest friends, Henri and Jean, and I loved how they were all such different characters but bonded over their love of flying. That's when they were all at their happiest! It charts some very distressing, dark times for them all but there was always that hope in them that things would come right. They flew all over the world, facing new challenges along the way but never being disheartened when all went wrong.

I got totally caught up with the lives of these men! It is one of those books that is full of adventure and action, but showed their real characters too when their feet were on the ground and the issues they faced both professionally and personally. Their lives were anything but dull!!

A true delight to read! It is exhilarating, magical and an incredible story! A must read and one of my books of 2021!!