Reading this novel, we can somehow see the First World War high, far from the trenches, barbed wire far away from the life of "crawling" unflattering nickname given to soldiers on the ground by aviators. This is another war, made especially waiting, weather fears, with unheard dexploits never experienced gear as part of a conflict and in very rapid technical progress: a French two-seater is well to chase by German cars, lighter and therefore faster, for a breathless race which the reader feels all the suspense. It is also striking to realize that these devices were fragile developed quune bullet fired from the ground could kill the pilot; to understand the exact nature of these missions dobservation often mentioned in other novels (a porthole in the floor of the cockpit allowed to take pictures) to realize that getting into these devices is done only well protected against the cold; in short, to have a romantic story (this is to say, worked with the writing, the desire to say something about lhumain) first hand about the role of French aviation during World War II.
In this context warrior Herbillon, a young recruit, and Maury, an officer struggling to gain acceptance of lescadrille, form a crew, "not just two men performing the same missions, subject to the same and collecting the same rewards. They were a moral unity, a cell with two cores, two instincts that ruled such a pace. Cohesion never ceased outside cabins. It continued in subtle antennae, by virtue dune indelible addiction to better observe and know better. They navaient that Saimer; they complétèrent. "
This beautiful male friendships will unfortunately experience a major downside: during a leave in Paris, will Herbillon sapercevoir than is his mistress and who is named Helena in their intimacy, sappelle actually Denise Maury for the state civil From there, the novel written mostly from the perspective of the young Herbillon, embroider on the frame of the dune squadron life, a love triangle in which is reflected the double face of a woman: small lies, avoidances, silences, doubts and suspicion, and yet the desire to preserve friendship without losing sight of the overall situation; we are at war, and a woman's love ny can change anything.
This war, the opportunity to "play the hero" according Helena / Denise plays havoc lescadrille, and earned the crew Maury / Herbillon smile cynically decorations that make it: what difference between actual acts performed and their translation to the table of honor! Herbillon becomes almost nihilistic, and we think of the Feu-Follet Drieu La Rochelle, or to Thomas lImposteur Cocteau, for these characters who Quà hardly believe the role that they have agreed to play in life in general in the war in particular.
This short drama warrior and lover both is carried by the dry style, powerful and devoid of any lyricism of a young journalist Kessel while already: it sets out the facts in their hardness and cruelty sometimes with exemplary economy and adjectives adverbs, Completion final outcome, which sees war break the love triangle in its blind rage. This style makes the crew a little dated, nobody nécrivant that way today, but it outdated and without coquetry side also makes it the charm that still think the writing's terrible, of leffroyable sometimes sentimental often can exist without unnecessary pathos .