Despite the wealth of biographical detail in this collection of French wartime hero aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's (1900–1944) letters, drawings, photographs and private notebooks, both Saint-Exupéry and the genesis of his best-known book, The Little Prince
, remain essentially mysterious. Even though The Little Prince
, that children's book that so many children found somewhat perplexing in its adult themes of exile and loss, is rarely directly addressed, with only a few early sketches of the prince and friends provided among the 9.75" x 11.25" collection's 200 color illustrations, it haunts the narrative of Saint-Exupéry's life. Adoringly written by a great-niece of Saint-Exupéry, the collection provides a wealth of minute details of Saint-Exupéry's childhood and close friendships, yet provides virtually no information on some essentials, such as his mysterious father, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack when Saint-Exupéry was four. These sorts of factual elisions occur regularly throughout the book, despite its oddly repetitive structure, in which central events in Saint-Exupéry's life are described over and over again, creating an almost mythic feel. American readers familiar only with The Little Prince
may find much of interest about Saint-Exupéry, who was also the author of several books based on his daring flights, including Night Flight
and Flight to Arras
, and who stayed in the United States from 1940 to 1943, trying to persuade the United States to enter the war. In fact, his "Letter to an American" could speak directly to today's rift between the United States and France. He disappeared during one last wartime flight on July 31, 1944. (Apr.)
