The Little Prince

6C Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1944. First UK Edition First Impression.

Notes

Le Petit Prince is a poetic and philosophical novella about a young prince who travels from planet to planet, meeting unusual adults whose narrow-minded behaviors symbolize the flaws of the grown-up world. Through his journey—and especially through his friendship with a stranded pilot in the Sahara Desert—the story explores themes of love, loneliness, imagination, and the importance of seeing with the heart rather than the eyes. Though often considered a children’s book, it speaks deeply to readers of all ages with its simple language, gentle humor, and profound reflections on human nature.

The author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, was a French writer and pioneering aviator whose experiences as a pilot greatly influenced his work. He flew dangerous airmail routes across Africa and South America and drew on these adventures in several of his books. During World War II, he lived in exile in the United States, where he wrote Le Petit Prince. In 1944, he disappeared during a reconnaissance flight over the Mediterranean Sea, and his death remains one of the enduring mysteries of literary history.

Le Petit Prince was first published in 1943 in New York City by Reynal & Hitchcock, in both English and French editions. Because France was under German occupation at the time, it was not published there until 1946 by Éditions Gallimard. The early English translation was done by Katherine Woods, whose version became widely read, though later translations aimed to stay closer to Saint-Exupéry’s original wording. Today, the book is one of the most translated and best-selling works in the world.

Description 

Salmon cloth binding with red lettering to spine and cover as well as a red and blue illustration on the upper board. Plain white endpapers. Light rubbing to extremities and some tiny dark spots to top of the upper board. Some spotting to front and rear endpapers which are also present but very faint throughout the interior pages. Gift and description to the half title page reads “wishes you all a happy Xmas and happy days always. Dec. 1945.” Edge wear to the dust wrapper with a particular tear to the top and few nicks and small chips to spine ends to lower panel fore edge. Rare to have first UK editions with original wrapper. Fine condition overall.