Night Flight (1930)

Antoine de Saint Exupery's "Night Flight" is the story of one night in the lives of the pilots and ground grew who flew the mail across the Andes from Patagonia, Chile and Paraguay to Argentina so it could be packed on another plane for Europe. The flights were fraught with danger as sudden storms, cyclones push the planes toward the craggy mountains below. The whole operation is overseen by Riviere, a no-nonsense boss whose primary concern is not the safety of the pilots, but the ability to get the mail in on time.

I found this little book to be okay -- it was an interesting story and a very quick read. However, it really pales in comparison to Saint Exupery's incredible "Wind, Sand and Stars," which is one of the finest books about flying I've ever read, and a fantastic adventure novel besides. This story is just not as interesting unfortunately. ( )

This novel about early airmail flights in South America is one of the most beautiful works of fiction ever written. ( )

What a beautiful book evoking the loneliness of the long-distance flier, the silence, the responsibility, the stillness, the danger.

Book review (spanish) ( )