A Sense of Life

This collection of writings by the author of Wind, Sand and Stars is the first English translation of Un Sens à la Vie -- a posthumously collected group of miscellaneous pieces written over a lifetime. These thoughtful, beautifully written essays are the expression of the leading principle of the famous aviator-philosopher-writer's life -- a deep humanism and a sense of the potential worth of the individual. Whether Saint-Exupéry turns his pen to Russia or Spain or an impending war in Europe, whether he draws from his intimate association with aviation, a belief in the spiritual significance of each individual determines his outlook. "Somewhere along the way we have made a wrong turn. Oh yes, the human anthill is richer than ever; we have at our disposal more material goods and greater leisure, yet we lack some essential thing that we cannot exactly define. As human beings we feel diminished; we have lost some of man's mysterious prerogatives." The wrong turn is evasive, the essential thing is illusive, yet Saint-Exupéry persists. From his first published piece, "The Aviator," through the last writings before his death, he searches for a definition, for a cause of man's loss of the "mysterious prerogatives" of the spirit.--Adapted from book jacket.