Joseph Kessel
Joseph Kessel was a prominent French author and journalist, born on February 10, 1898, in Clara, Argentina, to a Lithuanian Jewish father. After moving to France in his early years, Kessel pursued a career in journalism, initially covering world affairs and later serving as a war correspondent during World War II. His literary career gained traction with the publication of his first successful novel, "L'Équipage," in 1923, notable for being one of the first to focus on aviation. Kessel was deeply involved in the French Resistance during World War II, where he not only fought against the Nazis but also co-wrote the inspiring "Chant de Partisans." His significant contributions to literature include "L'Armée des ombres," which honors the bravery of his comrades. Over his lifetime, Kessel published numerous novels and received various accolades, including the Grand Prix du Roman and his election to the French Academy in 1962. His travels and experiences, particularly in Afghanistan, culminated in his acclaimed work "Les Cavaliers." Kessel passed away on July 23, 1979, leaving behind a rich legacy in both journalism and literature.
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Joseph Kessel
Writer
- Born: February 10, 1898
- Birthplace: Clara, Argentina
- Died: July 23, 1979
- Place of death: Avernes, Val-d'Oise, France
Biography
Joseph Kessel was born in Clara, Argentina, on February 10, 1898. His father, Samuel Kessel, was a Lithuanian Jew who obtained his medical degree at Montpellier, France, and went to Argentina to practice medicine. Kessel lived in Argentina until 1905, and then in Orenbourg until 1908 when his family returned to France. He completed his secondary education in Nice and Paris. In 1915, he graduated from college and joined the Journal des Débats as a reporter covering world affairs. In 1916, he tried his hand at acting but soon decided to volunteer for military service. He served in artillery and aviation divisions during World War I and received the Medaille militaire and the Croix de Guerre for his service.
After the war, he applied for and received French citizenship. He returned to write for the Journal des Débats and also wrote for La Liberté, Le Figaro, and Le Mercure. It was not long before Kessel was not only reporting on actual events but was also creating fictional adventures and working as a novelist. His first work La Steppe rouge, a collection of short stories, treated the Russian Revolution. In 1923, drawing upon his own experiences in World War I, he published his first successful novel, L’Équipage. This novel was innovative because it was the first to have aviation as its subject. Kessel’s talent as a novelist was quickly recognized; he received the Grand Prix du Roman from the French Academy in 1926 for Les Captifs.
In addition to writing novels, he was also an active journalist. Kessel was a member of the group of reporters hired to work on the daily newspaper Paris-Soir, where he was a war correspondent from 1939 to 1940. Kessel was very active during World War II. He was a member of the French Resistance, and managed to reach London and General Charles DeGaulle’s Resistance forces by secretly crossing the Pyrenees Mountains with his cousin, Maurice Druon. He and his cousin also composed the words to the song which was to inspire and rally the members of the Resistance, the Chant de Partisans. He flew over France at night with a squadron of pilots whose mission was to maintain contact with Resistance fighters. Kessel felt strong ties to his comrades and honored them for their heroism and sacrifice in with his novel L’Armée des ombres. He received a second Croix de Guerre.
After the war, he once again took up journalism and traveled extensively. He also published many novels, including the four-volume Le Tour du Malheur. The six-volume Témoin parmi les hommes recounts his experiences as a journalist. In 1967, he published Les Cavaliers, a novel based upon his travels in Afghanistan that is considered his masterpiece. This same year, Luis Bunel directed the film Belle de jour adapted from Kessel’s 1928 novel. Kessel died on July 23, 1979. He enjoyed a dual career marked by success, but for him the greatest recognition of his accomplishments as a writer was his election to the French Academy in 1962.