The troubled relationship between the pilot and his observer of a WWI French reconnaissance plane is explored in this short but compelling novel. Together the two are one of the best aircrews around but an unexpected connection between that comes to light puts everything at risk. First published in France in 1923, it’s a tribute to heroism and the brotherhood of men at arms, and based on the author's own experience, which gives it real authenticity. The descriptions of life on the airbase are vivid and convincing. It was the author’s first literary success and is certainly an accomplished debut novel. Its themes are equally relevant today as they were then, and in spite of its age the novel seems timeless. The bravery, the anguish, the rivalry, the jealousy and heartbreak are all tenderly and empathetically conveyed, and I found the book very moving.