Antoine De Saint-Exupéry Facts

Antoine De Saint-Exupéry Facts
Antoine De Saint-Exupéry was a French writer and pioneering aviator best known for his novella Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince). He was born Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint-Exupéry on June 29th, 1900, in Lyon France, to Countess Marie de Fonscolombe and Count Jean de Saint-Exupéry. He was born into an aristocratic family but when his father died before Antoine's fourth birthday, he and his mother and his four siblings were suddenly impoverished aristocrats. Antoine studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts for 15 months before beginning military service at 21, where he became a pilot.
Interesting Antoine De Saint-Exupéry Facts:
Antoine had several plane crashed while in the military and eventually, at the prodding of his fiancé and her family, he quit to work in an office. The engagement ended after a few years.
Antoine began to fly again in 1926 as a postal flight pilot. He worked as the airline stopover manager in South Morocco in the Sahara. His duties also involved negotiating the release of fliers who were taken hostage after they were downed.
In 1929 Antoine became the director of Aeroposta Argentina. This period in Antoine's life was mentioned in the IMAX film Wings of Courage.
In 1929 Antoine's first novel Courrier Sud (Southern Mail) was published. It followed the publication of his novella The Aviator, which was published in a literary magazine.
In 1931 Antoine De Saint-Exupéry's book Vol de nuit (Night Flight) was published, and brought attention to him as a literary author. This book won him the prix Femina.
Antoine De Saint-Exupéry married Consuelo Suncin, a writer and artist in 1931.
Following France's armistice with Germany Antoine De Saint-Exupéry went into exile, arriving in New York in 1940. His wife followed several months later.
While in North America Antoine De Saint-Exupéry wrote Pilote de guerre (Flight to Arras), and Lettre a un otage (Letter to a Hostage).
Antoine and his wife lived in Quebec City in Canada toward the late spring of 1942, and shortly after their return to New York, Antoine's publisher suggested that he write a children's book.
By the end of October 1942 The Little Prince was complete. Antoine wrote and illustrated the children's book.
The Little Prince was published in 1943 in English and in French in the U.S. It was not published in France until after Antoine died as his work had been banned. After France was liberated the ban was lifted.
In April 1943 Antoine De Saint-Exupéry rejoined the military to fly with the Free French Air Force.
On July 31st, 1944 Antoine De Saint-Exupéry took off on his ninth reconnaissance mission from Corsica, and did not return. He vanished without a trace.
Several days after Antoine's disappearance, an unidentifiable body with a French uniform was found south of Marseilles.
In 1998 Antoine's bracelet was found south of Marseille, by a fisherman.
Antoine's book The Little Prince is the most translated book (250+ languages) in the French language. It continues to sell almost 2 million copies each year, and is one of the best-selling books of all time.


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