Night Flight (novel)

Night Flight (original French title: Vol de Nuit) is a novel by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, published in 1931. It won the Prix Femina literary prize the same year. The novel explores the themes of courage, duty, and the importance of individual sacrifice in the face of technological progress and the relentless demands of the modern world.

The story revolves around Rivière, the demanding and visionary director of the Buenos Aires airmail service, and his pilots, Fabien, Pellerin, and others, who fly dangerous nighttime routes across South America. Rivière believes in the importance of discipline and pushing men to their limits to ensure the reliable and efficient delivery of mail, even at the cost of lives. The novel depicts the anxieties and challenges faced by these pilots, particularly during a severe storm, and Rivière's unwavering commitment to the progress of aviation, despite the risks.

The narrative interweaves the experiences of the pilots in the air with Rivière's reflections on leadership and the meaning of sacrifice in the service of a greater goal. The novel emphasizes the beauty and terror of nature, the fragility of human life, and the unwavering spirit of those who dare to conquer the unknown. Night Flight is considered a significant work of early aviation literature and a powerful meditation on the human condition in the age of technology.