Antoine de Saint-Exupery: French Aviator, and Author

Antoine de Saint-Exupery was a French author, poet, journalist, and aviator. He was best remembered for his novella, ‘The Little Prince’, as well as a great deal of other French books. Antoine had also written lyrical aviation-themed novels titled ‘Wind, Sand and Stars’, and ‘Night Flight’. He won a great deal of awards, including the United States National Book Award, and his books were popular all over the world. He disappeared during WWII during a reconnaissance flight.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery was born on June 29, 1900 in Lyon, France. His family was a Catholic family, whose aristocratic lineage could be traced back centuries — to Saint Exuperius (a 5th-century bishop). Antoine was the middle child of five. He had three sisters, and a younger brother. His mother was Viscountess Marie de Fonscolombe, and his father was Viscount Jean de Saint-Exupery.

Antoine’s father worked at Le Soleil insurance brokerage. While on the La Foux train station platform, Viscount Jean de Saint-Exupery suffered a stroke, and died. His death occurred just before Antoine’s fourth birthday. The whole family suffered a great deal from his death. Their status was even reduced to ‘impoverished aristocrats’.

While attending the Marianist College Villa St. Jean, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Antoine’s younger fifteen-year-old brother, Francois, died of rheumatic fever during the Great War. Antoine had been caring for his dying brother, as they had been extremely close. He saw his brother pass away…