This non-fiction book covers some of the major episodes in the author’s life – his time as a mail pilot between France and the front lines of the African continent, his adventures exploring South America by plane, a flight from Paris to Saigon that ended with a crash and subsequent rescue, and his firsthand look at the Spanish Civil War.
The book is written with gusto – there is a lot of talk about what makes a life worth living, what makes a man a man, and some very romantic views of humanity and civilization. These are coupled with the stories of adventure, and his love affair with the Sahara desert.
I enjoyed reading about his adventures, especially the descriptions of the places in between roads – places accessible only by plane. You can tell that he was enjoying immensely the life he was leading. Sometimes the book got a little overly philosophical for me, and a little technical in describing his flights and the operation of the aircraft of that age.
Since it was written back in the 1920’s he doesn’t seem like someone who would be much of a feminist. There are also little bits of racism now and then, but you must expect to have to put up with these to get such a detailed glimpse into that adventurous age of exploration.
Next I am reading The Morningside by Tea Obreht.
