Joseph Kessel (10 February 1898 – 23 July 1979), also known as "Jef", was a French

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

. He was a member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

and Grand Officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

Biography

Kessel was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in Villa Clara, Entre Ríos, Argentina, because of the constant journeys of his father, a Litvak

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

. From 1905 to 1908, Joseph Kessel lived the first years of his childhood in

Orenburg Orenburg (russian: Оренбу́рг, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Ural River, southeast of Moscow. Orenburg is also very close to the Kazakhstan-Russia bor ...

, Russia, before the family moved to France in 1908. He studied in ''lycée Masséna'',

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

and lycée Louis-le-Grand, Paris and took part in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as an aviator. He was also an aviator during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, in the

Free French Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...

( 342 Squadron RAF) with

RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...

, with

Romain Gary Romain Gary (; 2 December 1980), born Roman Kacew (, and also known by the pen name Émile Ajar), was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II aviator. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt under two names. He i ...

, who was also a talented French novelist. Kessel wrote several novels and books that were later represented in the cinema, notably '' Belle de Jour'' (by

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians, and directors to be one of the greatest and m ...

in 1967). In 1943 he and his nephew

Maurice Druon Maurice Druon (23 April 1918 – 14 April 2009) was a French novelist and a member of the Académie Française, of which he served as "Perpetual Secretary" (chairman) between 1985 and 1999. Life and career Born in Paris, France, Druon was the s ...

translated

Anna Marly Anna Marly (russian: Анна Юрьевна Смирнова-Марли, Anna Yurievna Smirnova-Marli), (30 October 1917 – 15 February 2006) was a Russian-born French singer-songwriter. Born into a wealthy Russian noble family, Marly came to F ...

's song ''

Chant des Partisans The "Chant des Partisans" (; "Song of the Partisans") was the most popular song of the Free French and French Resistance during World War II. The piece was written and put to melody in London in 1943 after Anna Marly heard a Russian song, namely Po ...

'' into French from its original

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

. The song became one of the anthems of

Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...

during the Second World War. Kessel was elected to the ''

'' in 1962 and died on 23 July 1979 in Avernes,

Val-d'Oise Val-d'Oise (, "Vale of the Oise") is a department in the Île-de-France region, Northern France. It was created in 1968 following the split of the Seine-et-Oise department. In 2019, Val-d'Oise had a population of 1,249,674.

of a ruptured aneurysm. He is buried in Paris in the

Cimetière du Montparnasse Montparnasse Cemetery (french: link=no, Cimetière du Montparnasse) is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, in the city's 14th arrondissement. The cemetery is roughly 47 acres and is the second largest cemetery in Paris. The cemetery ...

. On his deathbed, he was quoted as saying that his greatest accomplishment was the birth of his son, Joseph Kessel, who was born just a few months prior on 24 February of the same year. The Joseph-Kessel Prize (Prix Joseph Kessel) is a prestigious prize in French language literature, given to "a book of a high literary value written in French". The jury counts or has counted among its members

Tahar Ben Jelloun Tahar Ben Jelloun ( ar, الطاهر بن جلون; born in Fes, Morocco, 1 December 1944) is a Moroccan writer. All of his work is written in French although his first language is Darija. He became known for his 1985 novel ''L’Enfant de Sab ...

Jean-Marie Drot Jean-Marie Drot (2 March 1929 – 23 September 2015) was a French writer and documentary maker. Biography Drot was born in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle. He was the director of the French Academy in Rome from 1985 to 1994. Drot and Giovanni Pierac ...

, Michèle Kahn, Pierre Haski, Gilles Lapouge, Michel Le Bris,

Érik Orsenna Érik Orsenna is the pen-name of Érik Arnoult (born 22 March 1947) a French politician and novelist. After studying philosophy and political science at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris ("Sciences Po"), Orsenna specialized in economic ...

Patrick Rambaud Patrick Rambaud (born 21 April 1946) is a French writer. Life Born in Paris, France, with Michel-Antoine Burnier, he wrote forty pastiches, (satirical novels). They wrote ''Le Journalisme sans peine'' (Editions Plon, 1997). In 1970, he help foun ...

Jean-Christophe Rufin Jean-Christophe Rufin (born 28 June 1952) is a French doctor, diplomat, historian, globetrotter and novelist. He is the president of Action Against Hunger, one of the earliest members of Médecins Sans Frontières, and a member of the Académi ...

, André Velter and

Olivier Weber Olivier Weber (born 1958) is a French writer, novelist and reporter at large, known primarily for his coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been a war correspondent for twenty-five years, especially in Central Asia, Africa, Middl ...

Bibliography

* '' La steppe rouge'' (1922) * ''L'Équipage'' (1923) * ''Au camp des vaincus ou la critique du 11 mai '' (1924) * '' Mary de Cork'' (1925) * '' Les captifs'' (1926;

Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française Le Grand Prix du Roman is a French literary award, created in 1914, and given each year by the Académie française. Along with the Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French litera ...

) * '' Nuits de princes'' (1927) * '' Belle de Jour'' (1928; it inspired

's 1967

movie A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

of the same name) * '' Vent de sable'' (1929) * ''Fortune carrée'' (1932) * ' (1931; made into the movie ''

Sirocco Sirocco ( ), scirocco, or, rarely, siroc (see below) is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, especially during the summer season. Names ''Sirocco'' derives from ...

'' in 1951 with

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

) *''Wagon-lit'' (1932) * ''La Passante du Sans-Souci'' (1936; turned into a movie by

Jacques Rouffio Jacques Rouffio (14 August 1928 – 8 July 2016) was a French film director and screenwriter. His 1986 film ''My Brother-in-law Killed My Sister'' was entered into the 36th Berlin International Film Festival.Hollywood, Ville mirage'' (Gallimard, NRF, 1936) * ''Mermoz'' (1938) * ''L'Armée des ombres'' (1943; adapted for a movie by

Jean-Pierre Melville Jean-Pierre Melville (; born Jean-Pierre Grumbach; 20 October 1917 – 2 August 1973) was a French filmmaker and actor. Among his films are ''Le Silence de la mer'' (1949), ''Bob le flambeur'' (1956), '' Le Doulos'' (1962), ''Le Samouraï'' (196 ...

in 1969); ''Army of Shadows'' (Contra Mundum Press: 2017), featuring an intro by Stuart Kendall * ''Le Bataillon du ciel'' (Sky Battalion), (1946; turned into a movie by

Alexander Esway Alexander Esway (20 January 1895 – 23 August 1947) was a Hungarian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer. Life and career Esway was born Sándor Ezry in Budapest. In the late 1920s and early 1930s he worked as a director and screenwrit ...

in 1947): Free French SAS paratroopers in Brittany in Summer 1944 * '' Le tour du malheur'' (1950) * ''Les Amants du Tage'' (1954) * '' La Vallée des Rubis'' (1955) * ''Le lion'' (English translation: '' The Lion''; 1958) * ''Les mains du miracle'' (Gallimard, 1960). (English translation: ) * '' Les cavaliers'' (1967) (English translation: ''The Horsemen''. Translated by

Patrick O'Brian Patrick O'Brian, Order of the British Empire, CBE (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of sea novels set in the Royal Navy during t ...

. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1968) (filmed as '' The Horsemen'' in 1971.) * '' Partout un ami'' (1972) * '' Des hommes'' (1972) * '' Les temps sauvages'' (1975) * ''The escape''

Filmography

* '' The Crew'', directed by Maurice Tourneur (France, 1928, based on the novel ''L'Équipage'') * ', directed by

Marcel L'Herbier Marcel L'Herbier (; 23 April 1888 – 26 November 1979) was a French filmmaker who achieved prominence as an avant-garde theorist and imaginative practitioner with a series of silent films in the 1920s. His career as a director continued unti ...

(France, 1930, based on the novel ''Nuits de princes'') * ''L'Équipage'', directed by

Anatole Litvak Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (russian: Анатолий Михайлович Литвак; 21 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), better known as Anatole Litvak, was a Ukrainian-born American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in vari ...

(France, 1935, based on the novel ''L'Équipage'') * '' The Woman I Love'', directed by

(1937, based on the novel ''L'Équipage'') * ', directed by

Vladimir Strizhevsky Vladimir Strizhevsky (1892–1977) was an actor, screenwriter and film director. He was born in the Russian Empire and later emigrated to France and Germany, where he worked for Joseph N. Ermolieff's Films Albatros and collaborated often with other ...

(France, 1938, based on the novel ''Nuits de princes'') * ''

Le Bataillon du ciel ''Le Bataillon du ciel'' (''Sky Battalion'') is a 1947 French film in two parts by Alexander Esway about the Second World War. The film, written by Joseph Kessel, became the biggest box office success in France that year with more than 8 million ...

'', directed by

(France, 1947, based on the novel ''Le Bataillon du ciel'') * ''

'', directed by

Curtis Bernhardt Curtis Bernhardt (15 April 1899 – 22 February 1981) was a Jewish film director born in Worms, Germany, under the name Kurt Bernhardt. He trained as an actor in Germany, and performed on the stage, before starting as a film director in 1924, wi ...

(1951, based on the novel ''Le coup de grâce'') * ''

The Lovers of Lisbon ''The Lovers of Lisbon'' (french: Les amants du Tage) is a 1955 French drama film directed by Henri Verneuil and starring Daniel Gélin, Françoise Arnoul, Trevor Howard and Betty Stockfeld. Two French exiles in Lisbon fall in love after each ...

'', directed by

Henri Verneuil Henri Verneuil (; born Ashot Malakian; 15 October 1920 – 11 January 2002) was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who made a successful career in France. He was nominated for Oscar and Palme d'Or awards, and won Locarno International Fi ...

(France, 1955, based on the novel ''Les Amants du Tage'') * ', directed by

Bernard Borderie Bernard Borderie (10 June 1924 in Paris – 28 May 1978 in Paris) was a French film director and screenwriter. His father, Raymond Borderie, was one of the producers of ''Children of Paradise, Les Enfants du Paradis'' (''Children of Paradise'', 1945 ...

(France, 1955, based on the novel ''Fortune carrée'') * '' The Lion'', directed by

Jack Cardiff Jack Cardiff, (18 September 1914 – 22 April 2009) was a British cinematographer, film and television director, and photographer. His career spanned the development of cinema, from silent film, through early experiments in Technicolor, to fi ...

(1962, based on the novel '' The Lion'') * '' Belle de Jour'', directed by

(France, 1967, based on the novel '' Belle de Jour'') * ''

Army of Shadows ''Army of Shadows'' (french: L'Armée des ombres; it, L'armata degli eroi) is a 1969 World War II suspense-drama film written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, and starring Lino Ventura, Simone Signoret, Paul Meurisse and Jean-Pierre Cassel ...

'', directed by

(France, 1969, based on the novel ''L'Armée des ombres'') * '' The Horsemen'', directed by

John Frankenheimer John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were ''Birdman of Alcatraz'' (1962), ''The Manchurian Candidate'' (1 ...

(1971, based on the novel ''Les Cavaliers'') * '' The Passerby'', directed by

Jacques Rouffio Jacques Rouffio (14 August 1928 – 8 July 2016) was a French film director and screenwriter. His 1986 film ''My Brother-in-law Killed My Sister'' was entered into the 36th Berlin International Film Festival.Jacques de Baroncelli Jacques de Baroncelli (25 June 1881 – 12 January 1951) was a French film director best known for his silent films from 1915 to the late 1930s. He came from a Florence, Florentine family who had settled in Provence in the 15th century, occupying ...

, France, 1934) * ''

Mayerling Mayerling is a small village (pop. 200) in Lower Austria belonging to the municipality of Alland in the district of Baden. It is situated on the Schwechat river, in the Wienerwald (''Vienna woods''), southwest of Vienna. From 1550, it was in the ...

'' (dir.

, France, 1936) * ''Les Bateliers de la Volga'' (dir.

, France, 1936) * '' La Peur'' (dir.

Victor Tourjansky The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * Victor (1951 film), ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * Victor (1993 film), ...

, France, 1936) * ''

The Secrets of the Red Sea ''The Secrets of the Red Sea'' (French: ''Les secrets de la Mer Rouge'') is a 1937 French adventure film directed by Richard Pottier and starring Harry Baur, Gaby Basset and Alexandre Mihalesco.Gilles p.191 It was based on the 1931 novel of the ...

'' (dir. Richard Pottier, France, 1937) * ''

The Man from Niger ''The Man from Niger'' or ''Forbidden Love'' (French: ''L'homme du Niger'') is a 1940 French drama film directed by Jacques de Baroncelli and starring Victor Francen, Jacques Dumesnil and Annie Ducaux. It is set in the French colonial empire.Ken ...

'' (dir.

Jacques de Baroncelli Jacques de Baroncelli (25 June 1881 – 12 January 1951) was a French film director best known for his silent films from 1915 to the late 1930s. He came from a Florence, Florentine family who had settled in Provence in the 15th century, occupying ...

, France, 1940) * ''

At the Grand Balcony ''At the Grand Balcony'' (French: ''Au grand balcon'') is a 1949 French drama film directed by Henri Decoin and starring Pierre Fresnay, Georges Marchal and Félix Oudart.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.275 It was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festiv ...

'' (dir. Henri Decoin, France, 1949) * ''Le Grand Cirque'' (dir.

Georges Péclet Prosper Désiré "Georges" Péclet (27 July 1897 – 11 January 1974) was a French actor, director, and screenwriter. Career Between 1919 and 1957, Péclet played in ninety-five films (including several short films). He was an assistant directo ...

, France, 1950) * '' Act of Love'' (dir.

, 1953) * ''

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...

'' (dir.

Yves Allégret Yves Allégret (13 October 1905 – 31 January 1987) was a French film director, often working in the film noir genre. He was born in Asnières-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine and died in Paris. He was an assistant to film directors such as his broth ...

, France, 1955) * ' (dir.

Pierre Schoendoerffer Pierre Schoendoerffer (french: Pierre Schœndœrffer; 5 May 1928 – 14 March 2012) was a French film director, a screenwriter, a writer, a war reporter, a war cameraman, a renowned First Indochina War veteran, a cinema academician. He was ...

and Jacques Dupont, France, 1958) * ''

The Night of the Generals ''The Night of the Generals'' is a 1967 World War II mystery film directed by Anatole Litvak and produced by Sam Spiegel. It stars Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet and Philippe Noiret. The screenplay ...

'' (dir.

, 1967)

External links

*
Biography
at the

Plaisir Litteraire:
an interesting contribution about the youth of Joseph Kessel's father * http://www.rts.ch/archives/tv/culture/preface/3467832-joseph-kessel.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Kessel, Joseph 1898 births 1979 deaths People from Entre Ríos Province Argentine Jews Argentine people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent French people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Democratic Union of Labour politicians 20th-century French novelists French male novelists French travel writers French war correspondents Jewish novelists French military personnel of World War I French military personnel of World War II Members of the Académie Française Lycée Louis-le-Grand alumni Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française winners Burials at Montparnasse Cemetery 20th-century French male writers French male non-fiction writers