Antonio Iturbe

2017 Biblioteca Breve Prize

Three great friends changed the history of aviation. One of them also left an indelible mark on the lives of millions of readers by writing The Little Prince.

France, the 1920s. Only the finest pilots are accepted at Latécoère. Among the chosen few are Jean Mermoz, Henri Guillaumet and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, three heroic aviators who will pioneer the first mail routes along unexplored paths. No distance is too great for them, no mountain too high: the letters must reach their destination. When they land, they face the turbulence of life on the ground in a century torn apart by wars.

A cielo abierto recounts the incredible feats of three great friends who shaped the history of aviation, and is also a tribute to the author of *The Little Prince*, an unforgettable writer who knew how to see reality through the eyes of a child.

Antonio Iturbe has written a gripping novel thanks to the careful balance between fast-paced action and the subtle emotion conveyed by Saint-Exupéry’s view of the world, the perfect characterisation of the protagonists, and the setting—ranging from Parisian salons and New York literary circles to the world that surrounded those legendary aviators. A celebration of the essence of literature in a tale of friendship, impossible dreams, love and passion, and the joy of flying and discovering, from the sky, a beautiful planet full of mysteries.

‘A narrator with tremendous verve.’ Antón Castro.

‘Antonio Iturbe combines the documentary precision of a born journalist with great narrative fluency.’ Sergio Vila-Sanjuán.

‘A daring and courageous writer.’ Adolfo García Ortega