You are on page 1of 3

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry[1] (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃twan də sɛ̃tɛɡzypeˈʁi]) (29 June


1900 – 31 July 1944) was a French writer and aviator. He is best remembered for his
novella The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) and for his books about aviation adventures,
including Night Flight and Wind, Sand and Stars.

He was a successful commercial pilot before World War II. He joined the Armée de l'Air
(French Air Force) on the outbreak of war, flying reconnaissance missions until the
armistice with Germany. Following a spell of writing in the United States, he joined the
Free French Forces. He disappeared on a reconnaissance flight over the Mediterranean in
July 1944.

Léon Werth
Léon Werth (1878, Remiremont, Vosges - 1955) was a French writer and art critic, a
friend of Octave Mirbeau, then of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Léon Werth wrote critically and with great precision on French society through World
War I, colonization, and on French "collaboration" during World War II.

Saint-Exupery met Werth in 1931. He soon became Saint-Exupery's closest friend


outside of his flying group of Aeropostale. Werth did not have much in common with
Exupery; he was an anarchist, his father was a Jew, and a left Bolshevik supporter. Being
twenty-two years older than Saint-Exupery, with a surrealistic writing style as well as the
author of twelve volumes and many magazine pieces, he was Saint-Exupery's very
opposite.

Saint Exupery dedicated two books to him, ("Letter to a Hostage" and "The Little
Prince"), and referred to Werth in three more. At the beginning of World War II, while
writing "The Little Prince", Exupery lived in his downtown New York City apartment,
thinking about his native France and his friends. Léon Werth spent the war unobtrusively
in Saint-Amour, his village in the Jura, a mountainous region near Switzerland where he
"was alone, cold and hungry", and had few nice words on French refugees. Saint-Exupery
returned to Europe in early 1943, rationalizing, "I cannot bear to be far from those who
are hungry... I am leaving in order to suffer and thereby be united with those who are dear
to me."

At the end of World War II, which Antoine de Saint Exupery didn't live to see, Léon
Werth said: "Peace, without Tonio (Exupery) isn't entirely peace." Leon Werth did not
see the text for which he was so responsible until five months after his friend's death,
when Galimard sent him a special edition.
Leon Werth is known French essayist and novelist, but best known for his art criticism.
Saint-Exupery met Werth in 1931, and soon he became the closest friend Saint-Exupery
had outside of his flying group of Aeropostale.
Werth had not much in common with Exupery, he was anarchist, and Jew, and left
Bolshevik supporter. Twenty-two years older then Exupery, with surrealistic writing
style, author of twelve volumes, and many magazine pieces, he was opposite of what
Exupery was.
Saint Exupery dedicated two books to him (Letter to a Hostage, The Little Prince) and
referred Werth in three more. The dedication in the preface of The Little prince is one of
the most charming dedications ever written.
During the begging of World War II, while writing The Little Prince Exupery lived in his
apartment at downtown New York City, thinking about his France and his friends. Leon
Werth spent the war unobtrusively in Saint-Armour, where we "was alone, cold and
hungry", without many nice words about French refugees. Saint-Exupery returned to
Europe in early 1943, "I cannot bear to be far from those who are hungry ... I am leaving
in order to suffer and thereby be united with those who are dear to me."
At the end of World War II, which Antoine de Saint Exupery didn't live to see, Leon
Werth said: " Peace, without Tonio (Exupery) isn't entirely peace." Leon Werth did not
see the text for which he was so much responsible until five months after his friend's
death, when Galimard sent him a special edition.
(WRITTEN BY: ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY)

SUBMITTED BY:
STEPHANIE L. VENENOSO
1-ST. RAPHAEL

SUBMITTED TO:
MRS. HANIE
MANGUBAT
TEACHER

You might also like