The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is one of those classics children’s books that stands the test of time. In The Prince of of the Skies Antonio Iturbe looks into the extraordinary life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and two of his friends, Jean Mermoz and Henri Guillaumet, who were pilots with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and put themselves in danger everyday. This maybe a fiction book but it really captures the essence of Antoine, his passions, his writing and his desire for the skies.

To say this is an epic read is and understatement, we are taken from the early 1920’s, a time of excess and fun post World War I, throught the 1930’s to the 1940’s and the War years again, through the eyes of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Antoine was a Compte by birth but there was no more money to fund the estate so both him and his mother need to work. Antoine has three passions in his life, his writing, flying and Louise de Vilmorin, the sister of his friend, and all these consume his life, but not all are successful. He is constantly writing on whatever he has at hand, combining storytelling and his adventures as a pilot. Whilst his writing is successful his love life is more erratic, Antoine wants the ideal of love that doesn’t exist, and I think is someone who is in love with the idea of being in love. He starts his flying in the French Air Force, but after a short time away goes into the private sector to work with the Aéropostal, flying letters around France, Europe, Africa and eventually even South America. Jean Mormoz and Hernri Guillaumet also fly with the Aéropostal and between the three of them they are innovators in the field of flying, pushing the boundaries of what the planes and pilots are capable of. Antoine Iturbe captures the essence of these men, their exuberance, their passion for life and women.

Antonio Iturbe’s prose is poetic and the translation by Lilit Žekulin Thwaites is wonderful and captures the magic of the origional text. This is a real adreniline rush of a book in parts, with the adventure and danger of being a pilot, and taking the reader from France to Morocco, Syria, Brazil, America and Senegal. I was fascinated in the development of the Aèropostal, delivering mail across continents, something we take for granted today, and of the aircraft used which were open cockpit leaving pilot exposed to the elements, and very basic. Antonio Turbe really captures the danger of these flights and the zeitgeist of the years between the two World Wars, the excesses of post war and the fear of World War II.

The Prince of the Skies is an amazing read about three extraordinary men. I loved learning more about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, his life, his loves and how these inspired his writing, and ultimately The Little Prince. This a truely powerful and epic read, crossing continents and going to new heights in the name of aviation, and detailing the bravery of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Beautifully written, this is a stunning and inspirational read.

A brilliant book about the author of the Little Prince but it is much more than this.
It is a story of those brave young aviators in the early part of the 20th century who risked everything to forge the use of the airways of the sky which we today take for granted.
It is a love story and it is an adventure but it is also about bravery which into days environment we would find very hard to comprehend.

I recently read "The Little Prince" for the first time so I was intrigued when I heard about this book. It was such a fascinating look at Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's life, particularly in light of his untimely death. This novel was moving and compelling, thank you so much for this insightful ARC!

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Love history - so this was absolutely my thing
Well written and really enjoyed this

This tells the story of flying between the wars in a very readable format. It is not just flying but all the emotions and relationships built around one person who is the central character. It is not a book where you sit on the edge of your seat but one which makes you think, consider and enjoy.

This must be a big book as it took me far longer to read than I expected!

I found it to be slow paced but can tell that a lot of thought and research has gone into this and it is a beautifully written story of friendship, love and the joy of doing a job you love. I really enjoyed the friendship develop between Antoine, Mermoz and Henri.

The book has lots of wonderful descriptions like this one ‘For him, happiness is round and escapes by rolling down the street. In contrast, sadness is square and sticks in the throat’

Thank you to #NetGalley and #PanMacmillan for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. #ThePrinceOfSkies

The Prince of the Skies by Antonio Iturbe is a fictionalised account of the life of Antoine de Saint- Exupery, author of The Little Prince , one of the best selling books of all time. The book is set largely between the 1920s and the mid 1940's , and focuses on his love for flying. The book also has a lot of historical details about the early days of aviation, and the formation of Aeropostale, the French airmail service. It could have felt a bit dry and boring ,but I found it compelling, and I think that is a testament to the writing and translation, and to how well the characters came to life on the page.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher,all opinions are my own.

If you like history you will like this book. Well written. An enjoyable read although not a book that can be finished quickly.

My Rating - 4.5*

The Prince of the Skies by Antonio Iturbe publishes today, October 14th, with Pan Macmillan. Described as ‘a moving tale of love and friendship, war and heroism, and the power of the written word', it has been excellently translated by Lilit Žekulin Thwaites.

I have often said that translated work has opened up a whole new world of literature to me and The Prince of the Skies is a perfect example of this. Ashamedly, I have to admit, that I have never read The Little Prince. It was just never a book I came across growing up, only really coming into my radar in recent years. I have rectified this though as I have ordered a copy which will very soon be in my hands.

The Prince of the Skies is an utterly fascinating insight into the phenomenal life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Born into an aristocratic family in Lyon in the1900s, Saint-Exupéry developed an early passion for flying. His father passed away when he was young and his mother did her best to raise her five children but money was tight. With his title and his accent, Saint-Exupéry struggled at times to fit in, especially during his years in the military where he completed his compulsory service. Where Saint-Exupéry really fitted in was up in the clouds and in the 1920s, during his military service, he got to finally fulfil his ambition of flying solo and gaining experience. But flying wasn’t his only passion as Saint-Exupéry loved to write. Never alone, with his imagination always active, Saint-Exupéry wanted to convey his words to a greater audience but he was his own biggest critic, always tearing up a huge percentage of his work, never satisfied that it was good enough. He fell deeply in love with Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin but her family never encouraged their relationship. After a flying accident that resulted in him being hospitalised, she gave him an ultimatum – his flying or their relationship. He chose his Lou-Lou, but it was an engagement that was never to last.

Saint-Exupéry sought solace again in flying, becoming part of a brave and extremely courageous group of aviators who worked for Aéropostale, the newly established French air mail service. It was here that he made a lifelong friendship with two pilots, Jean Mermoz and Henri Guillaumet. Antonio Iturbe brings to life the insanity and chaotic nature of the world that these men inhabited. With their lives constantly in danger, the pilots of Aéropostale were adrenalin junkies, fearless, reckless individuals who took daily risks as they opened up new postal routes across continents. Flying in treacherous conditions Saint-Exupéry, Mermoz and Guillaumet shared an extraordinary bond with an equal excitement for pushing the boundaries of flight and being prepared to sacrifice so much for a letter to reach its final destination faster. They were explorers of the sky, heroes all, with a tenacious and gutsy attitude that drove them further every time.

In The Prince of the Skies Antonio Iturbe explores in depth Saint-Exupéry’s relationship with the women he loved, the extravagant lifestyle he lived and his role in the Second World War. Mermoz’s and Guillaumet’s lives are also delved into, giving the reader a real feel for the daring nature of these men. During these years Saint-Exupéry did manage to establish himself as a writer, winning many awards both at home in France and overseas. With the onset of the Second World War, circumstances changed for all three men and eventually too for Aéropostale. With the world in turmoil, all three pilots had different loyalties and views, but their friendship was always strong….until the end.

The Prince of the Skies is primarily written in the present tense which does take time to get your head around but, once you get past this, you will be slowly pulled into this unbelievable tale. There is the most beautiful part in the book where Didier Daurat, the manager of Aéropostale, really encapsulates these brave men in their flying machines –

“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”

From the streets of Paris, to North Africa, South America and beyond The Prince of the Skies is an epic and powerful adventure. Today it is very difficult to comprehend the conditions of flying during the first half of the twentieth century. The dedication of these pioneering aviators, male and female, who took to the skies, constantly pushing the boundaries should never be forgotten. Antonio Iturbe has created a magical piece of writing, one that I highly recommend to all who want to know more about these intrepid adventurers and to also discover more about the man behind that classic tale The Little Prince.

Compelling. Captivating. Spellbinding.

Happy publication day to The Prince of the Skies! This is a long read but very worthwhile. It follows several different men who were pioneers of aviation, flying for the pure love of it when a time when it was still horrifically dangerous. These men were all real men: Jean Mormoz, Henri Guillaumet and Antonio de Saint Exupery. Saint-Ex is the main protagonist and is infectious in his joy of life and of flying, I found reading from his point of view to be tremendously uplifting.

My thanks to #NetGalley and PanMacmillan for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read the Little Prince, but I do not think that stopped me from enjoying this book. I have read the author's novel 'The Librarian of Auschswitz' which was truly remarkable so I was very excited to read this book and would like to thank the publishers for the opportunity.

Firstly, it is clear how well researched this book was, it did not feel as though their were any holes in that regard. It is also beautifully written and really painted the picture of the 3 plots and their experiences delivering post, and mostly their love and friendship. At times that is what kept me going as the actual plot was sometimes hard to concentrate on. I'm glad I pushed on and finished this book as it was overall enjoyable and I learned a lot about aviation and flying between the 1920s and 1940s. I have to say I would not usually be drawn to a book with this subject matter but I would urge anyone with an interest in history and particularly the world wars to give this a go.

I'm not sure I agree Saint Ex is romantic hero, he seems so unsure of himself in his early years.There is no doubt he, along with Mermoz et al were heroic. As one who doesn't mind flying but hates the idea of crashing I found the exploits of these early aviators fascinating.

Antoine de Saint Exupery may be famous for writing The Little Prince, but his main love was flying. This novel gives an insight into the man and his friends Jean and Henri as they pioneer air Mail delivery across the globe.

Adventure, love, loss, war. read and enjoy.

I love history and reading about history in particular the war. So I’m glad I had the opportunity to read the prince of the skies.

Based on the lives and journey of three pilots, it describes their experiences of flying and delivering the mail.

I liked how it was told through the eyes of each character. The passion for flying was evident and the friendship they had for each other was real.

Not going to lie, I shed a tear when their deaths were announced.

Over all an enjoyable read. It was interesting to see what it was like and how air travel has developed so much now.

Anyone who has read the little prince will have a little part of their soul given over to it. The Prince of the Skies is a novel that details the life of Antoine De Saint- Expery, the author and aviator. This a gentle story that carries the reader along on the turbulent currents of his life.

You can't help but warm to Antoine, a ceaseless dreamer who sees joy in everything. I knew little of his life prior to reading this book and felt I knew him so well by the time I'd finished. I loved how the narrative delved into the dangers and joys of being a ground breaking pilot and how the postal routes from Africa and South America were set up. The other characters in the book are well developed and become as central to the story as Antoine.

This biography gives an insight into love, friendship and national pride against the growing threat of war in Europe. I found this a really emotional novel. I wanted so much for Antoine to find love and live the life that his wonderful heart sought out.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful novel. It was a truly wonderful read and gives me a new insight into the images used in the little prince.

This book was very well written and included an enormous amount of research. But it didn't hold my attention. I kept on wandering off, thinking about other things and losng my place. I am not sure why but it took me much longer to read than I anticipated and I thought about ditching it several times. I am glad I didn't as there are some real gems in the prose and the history of airmail and the innovations in flight and aeronautics were fascinating. But it is far too long for a novel like this. One thing I am grateful for is the review that mentioned a reading of The Little Prince before embarking on Prince of the Skies. I dd that and loved it and enjoyed the parts of Prince of the Skies that harked back to the tales in the earlier book. With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and revieww an e-ARC of this book.

I haven’t read anything else by this author, but I’m looking forward to reading his others. I really enjoyed this - a story of aviation derring do and the lengths they went to in order to deliver mail. The portrayal of their friendship and how passionately they felt about things was excellent. Sad that they died young, but they doing what they loved.

What an exceptional book!
Although focusing mainly on the life of Antoine De Saint-Exupery, this dramatised biography draws us into the lives of three close friends and their experiences as ground-breaking aviators between the 1920s and 1940s. I would never have thought that I could be so absorbed with early flight and mail routes but the writing is fantastic. I found myself completely absorbed and just wanted to keep reading until the last chapter which I then made last as long as I could. It’s a long time since I haven’t wanted to finish a book. I immediately reread The Little Prince which now has an added layer of poignancy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beautifully written, I was immediately captured by the wonderful prose and the way that the author has woven the story.

I found the pace to be a little slow, which was to be expected with this kind of novel, but I would have liked to have felt some further underlying tension or drama throughout the story - especially when it's set in such an evocative era that is steeped in such dramatic events.

It felt very character focused, which I enjoyed, but I did want just a little more from the plot and pace.

This is certainly an emotional, heart-wrenching read which I highly recommend to readers of historical fiction.

Well written and researched. The Little Prince is one of my favourite books since I was a child and I knew very little about the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Thia book fixed that. I love historical fiction however I wish this book had been a bit shorter. I also wish I had read this in its origibal language, Spanish, since is my mother tongue.