Airman's Odyssey Paperback – November 5, 1984

An excellent book by an extraordinary man who led the way, mastered his world, and shared words about adventures worth reading. Author of “The Little Prince” and an accomplished pilot and aviation visionary, Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s “Airman’s Odyssey’ offers a unique glimpse of the challenging and risky beginnings of what so many take for granted today. The man writes with grace and beauty about what was truly ‘The Right Stuff’ in the early days of aviation.Antoine de Saint-Exupery is proof that the man atop the mountain didn’t fall there!

About 9 pages were folded together at the corners. Butt easily fixed. The book was in good condition.

This is one of those books that makes you think "Why didn't they make us read THIS in high school?"There is so much more to this than flying...flying is merely the backdrop, albeit a perfect setting to invoke these kinds of inward thoughts and observations on humanity and human existence. You do NOT have to be a pilot to enjoy this book, in fact the setting could be anything that places man on the edges of technology and life itself.They say that flying is hours and hours of seemingly endless boredom, highlighted by seconds of shear terror. And the flying that Saint-Ex did in the early days of open cockpit flying was certainly more terror than today. Saint-Ex has a way with words that I have never encountered before; he weaves analogies where one thought they could not exist...putting into beautiful words those thoughts that all of us have had but could never begin to explain.Why did I encounter this book now at the age of 33? I was told I should read "The Little Prince" but found it to be somewhat elementary, being the children's book that it is. So I picked up this trilogy. And I find myself asking again, seriously, why didn't anyone tell me about this book when I was 20?

Great language skills by the writer, whether you are a pilot or not. recommend, fine reading, great for in flight..

Exupery was an airman, but even more a philosopher and poet. Timeless wisdom that transcends the ages. Poetry in flight.

I flew for 40 years both in USAF and as an airline pilot for one of the largest global passenger carriers. The two singular authors who captured the essence and romance of the pilot's love of flying are Saint-Exupery and Ernest Gann. I've read and re-read their works since the beginning, always finding new insights as my own career progressed.If you are considering, experiencing, or remembering the aviator's life, Gann and Saint-Exupery are essential.

If you want to read prose about the early days of flying that is arresting, insightful, expressive and poetic, this is the book you. I dip into it occasionally just to escape "today" and fly back in time.

I bought this hoping to read about aircraft and flying in the 1930s. Instead, St-ex spends most of the time writing about everything but. I swear he was trolling the reader because he seemed to prefer waxing poetic than describing the thrills of, well, flying.For example, early in the first book, he rides a bus to his aircraft with a big build up. Next he approaches his craft. Then, a sentence of two later, he arrives at his destination. In the second book, he spends more time with scenes concerning those on the ground than those actually in aircraft. The third book is all about one mission, so I thought it'd actually have some good scenes. Instead, he spends 90% of the book reminiscing.It's like reading a book about touring Italy but the author never leaves the hotel.Now I gave it 1 star because it did have a few great moments, like flying through the mountains during a cyclone and getting lost in the fog. However, those took up a total of a chapter in a book that's supposed to contain 3 novels about flying.If you're looking for a book filled with expression, purple prose, and adventures on the ground, I'd recommend it. But if you're looking for stories about flying, look elsewhere.

A great copy,Good quality.

A wonderful, insight into our interface with the world and each other. His prose is almost poetry. He lets me see things differently and my outlook on life ends up more interesting and happier.

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