Jean Raspail (, 5 July 1925 – 13 June 2020) was a French author, traveler, and explorer. Many of his books are about historical figures, exploration and indigenous peoples. He was a recipient of the prestigious French literary awards Grand Prix du Roman and Grand Prix de littérature by 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 ...

. The French government honoured him in 2003 by appointing him to the

Legion of Honor 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 ...

, with the grade of Officer. Internationally, he is best known for his controversial 1973 novel ''

The Camp of the Saints ''The Camp of the Saints'' (french: Le Camp des Saints) is a 1973 French dystopian fiction novel by author and explorer Jean Raspail. A speculative fictional account, it depicts the destruction of Western civilization through Third World mass im ...

'', which is about mass

third-world The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Western European nations and their allies represented the " Firs ...

immigration to Europe Immigration to Europe has a long history, but increased substantially in the later 20th century. Western Europe countries, especially, saw high growth in immigration after World War II and many European nations today (particularly those of the EU- ...

Life and career

Born on 5 July 1925 in

Chemillé-sur-Dême Chemillé-sur-Dême () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Population See also * Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department The following is a list of the 272 communes of the Indre-et-Loire department of Franc ...

Indre-et-Loire Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it ...

, Raspail was the son of factory manager Octave Raspail and Marguerite Chaix. He attended private Catholic school at

Saint-Jean de Passy , motto_translation ="Work and pious love" , location = , streetaddress =72 rue Raynouard , region = , city =Paris , state = , province = , county ...

in Paris, the Institution Sainte-Marie d'Antony and the École des Roches in

Verneuil-sur-Avre Verneuil-sur-Avre (, literally ''Verneuil on Avre'') is a former commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton. History Following the revolt of ...

. During the first twenty years of his career Raspail traveled the world. He led a

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla ...

–

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

car trek in 1950–52 and, in 1954, a French research expedition to the land of the

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

s. Raspail served as Consul General of the

Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia The Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia ( es, Reino de la Araucanía y de la Patagonia; french: Royaume d'Araucanie et de Patagonie, sometimes referred to as ''New France'') was an unrecognized state declared by two ordinances on November 17, 18 ...

. In 1981, his novel '' Moi, Antoine de Tounens, roi de Patagonie'' (I, Antoine of Tounens, King of Patagonia) won the Grand Prix du Roman (award for a novel) of the

. His

traditional Catholicism Traditionalist Catholicism is the set of beliefs, practices, customs, traditions, liturgical forms, devotions, and presentations of Catholic teaching that existed in the Catholic Church before the liberal reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1 ...

serves as an inspiration for many of his

utopian A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia'', describing a fictional island society ...

works, in which the ideologies of

communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

and

liberalism Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...

are shown to fail, and a Catholic monarchy is restored. In his 1990 novel ''Sire'' a French king is crowned in

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

in February 1999, the 18-year-old Philippe Pharamond de

Bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...

, a direct descendant of the last French kings. In his best known work, ''

'' (1973), Raspail predicts the collapse of

Western civilization Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''. image:Plato Pio-Cle ...

from an overwhelming "tidal wave" of

Third World The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Western European nations and their allies represented the " First ...

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

. The "hordes" of the world rise and, in the words of playwright Ian Allen, "destroy the white race." The book has been translated into English, German, Spanish, Italian, Afrikaans, Czech, Dutch, Polish, Hungarian and Portuguese, and as of 2006 it had sold over 500,000 copies. After ''The Camp of the Saints'' Raspail wrote other novels, including ''North'', ''Sire'', and ''The Fisher's Ring''. Raspail reiterated these views in a co-written 1985 article ("Will France Still Be French in 2015?") for ''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...

'' magazine, where he stated "the proportion of France's non-European immigrant population will grow to endanger the survival of traditional French culture, values and identity". Raspail was a candidate for the French Academy in 2000, for which he received the most votes, yet did not obtain the majority required for election to the vacant seat of

Jean Guitton Jean Guitton (August 18, 1901 – March 21, 1999) was a French Catholic philosopher and theologian. Biography Born in Saint-Étienne, Loire in August 1901, he studied at the Lycée du Parc in Lyon and was accepted at the École Normale Sup� ...

. An article by Raspail for ''

'' on 17 June 2004, entitled "The Fatherland Betrayed by the Republic", in which he criticized the French immigration policy, was sued by

International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism The International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism—or Ligue internationale contre le racisme et l'antisémitisme (LICRA) in French—was established in 1927, and is opposed to intolerance, xenophobia and exclusion. In 1927, French journ ...

on the grounds of "

incitement to racial hatred Incitement to ethnic or racial hatred is a crime under the laws of several countries. Australia In Australia, the Racial Hatred Act 1995 amends the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, inserting Part IIA – Offensive Behaviour Because of Race, Colour ...

", but the action was turned down by the court on 28 October. In 1970, the Académie française awarded Raspail its Jean Walter Prize for the whole of his work. In 2007 he was awarded the Grande Médaille d’Or des Explorations et Voyages de Découverte by the

Société de géographie The Société de Géographie (; ), is the world's oldest geographical society. It was founded in 1821 as the first Geographic Society. Since 1878, its headquarters have been at 184 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris. The entrance is marked by two gig ...

of France for the whole of his work.

Personal life

He lived in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...

, near

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. He died in the on 13 June 2020, aged 94.

Works

* ''Terre de feu – Alaska'' (Land of Fire – Alaska) (1952) – adventure writing * ''Terres et Peuples Incas'' (Inca Lands and Peoples) (1955) * ''Le Vent des Pins'' (1958), translated as '' Welcome Honorable Visitors: a novel'' by Jean Stewart ( Putnam, 1960) * ''Terres Saintes et Profanes'' (Lands Holy and Profane) (1960) * ''Les Veuves de Santiago'' (The Widows of Santiago) (1962) * ''Hong-Kong, Chine en sursis'' (Hong Kong, A Reprieve for China) (1963) * ''Secouons le cocotier'' (Let's Shake the Coconut Tree) (1966) – travel writing * ''Secouons le cocotier : 2, Punch Caraïbe'' (Let's Shake the Coconut Tree 2: Caribbean Punch) (1970) – travel writing * ''Bienvenue Honorables Visiteurs (le Vent des pins)'' (Welcome Honorable Visitors) (1970) – novel * ''Le Tam-Tam de Jonathan'' (Jonathan's Drum) (1971) – nouvelles * ''L'Armada de la Dernière Chance'' (Last-Chance Armada) (1972) * ''Le Camp des Saints'' (1973), translated as ''

'' by Norman Shapiro ( Scribner, 1975;

The Social Contract Press The Social Contract Press (SCP) is an American publisher of white nationalist and anti-immigrant literature. It is a program of U.S. Inc., a foundation formed by John Tanton, who was called by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) "the racist fou ...

, 1995, ) – novel * ''La Hache des Steppes'' (The Steppes Axe) (1974) * ''Journal Peau Rouge'' (Red Skin Journal) (1975) * ''Nuage Blanc et les Peaux-Rouges d'aujourd'hui'' (White Cloud and the Redskins of Today) (1975) – by Aliette and Jean Raspail * '' Le Jeu du Roi'' (The King's Game) (1976) – novel * ''Boulevard Raspail'' (Raspail Boulevard) (1977) – columns * ''Les Peaux-rouges aujourd'hui'' (Redskins Today) (1978) * ''Septentrion'' (North) (1979), translated as ''Septentrion'' (Sunny Lou Publishing, 2022, ) – novel * ''Bleu caraïbe et citrons verts : mes derniers voyages aux Antilles'' (Caribbean Blue and Green Lemons: My Last Trips to the Antilles) (1980) * ''Les Antilles, d'île en île'' (The Antilles, From Island to Island) (1980) * '' Moi, Antoine de Tounens, roi de Patagonie'' (I, Antoine of Tounens, King of Patagonia) (1981) – novel * ''Les Hussards : histoires exemplaires'' (The Hussars: Representative Stories) (1982) * ''Les Yeux d'Irène'' (Irene's Eyes) (1984) – novel * ''Le Président'' (The President) (1985) – novel * ''Qui se souvient des hommes...'' (1986), translated as '' Who Will Remember the People...: A Novel''. Translated by J. Leggatt ( Mercury House, 1988, ) – novel. UK paperback published under alternative title ''The People'' (1988). * ''L'Île bleue'' (1988), translated by J. Leggatt as ''

Blue Island Blue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois, located approximately south of Chicago's Loop. Blue Island is adjacent to the city of Chicago and shares its northern boundary with that city's Morgan Park neighborhood. The population was 22,558 ...

: A Novel'' ( Mercury House, 1991, ) * ''Pêcheurs de Lune'' (Moon Fishers) (1990) * ''

Sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

'' (Sire) (1990) – novel * ''Vive Venise'' (Long Live Venice) (1992) – by Aliette and Jean Raspail * '' Sept cavaliers quittèrent la ville au crépuscule par la porte de l'Ouest qui n'était plus gardée'' (Seven Riders Left the City at Dusk through the Western Gate, Which Was No Longer Guarded) (1993) – novel (commonly called ''Sept cavaliers...'') * ''

L'Anneau du pêcheur ''L'Anneau du pêcheur'' ("the ring of the fisherman") is a 1995 novel by the French writer Jean Raspail. The narrative has two timelines: the time of Benedict XIII, the last antipope of the Avignon Papacy, and contemporary times, when the Catho ...

'' (The Ring of the Fisherman) (1995) – novel * ''Hurrah Zara !'' (Hooray Zara!) (1998) – novel * ''

Le Roi au-delà de la mer ''Le Roi au-delà de la mer'' ("The King Over the Water" as it deliberately and knowingly evokes the Stuart exile from Britain) is a 2000 novel by the French writer Jean Raspail. The book is written as a series of letters from a mentor to the youn ...

'' (The King Over the Water) (2000) – novel * '' Adiós, Tierra del Fuego'' (Goodbye, Tierra del Fuego) (2001) – travel writing * ''Le son des tambours sur la neige et autres nouvelles d'ailleurs'' (The Sound of Drums on Snow, and Other News from Elsewhere) (2002) * ''

Les Royaumes de Borée ''Les Royaumes de Borée'' ("the realms of Boreas") is a 2003 novel by the French writer Jean Raspail. The narrative spans from the 17th century to modern times and focuses on Oktavius-Ulrich de Pikkendorff, an officer who is appointed commander ...

'' (The Kingdoms of Borée) (2003) – novel * '' En canot sur les chemins d'eau du roi, une aventure en Amérique'' (2005) – travel writing

Adaptations

* ''Le Roi de Patagonie'' (1990), TV mini-series directed by Georges Campana and Stéphane Kurc * ''Le Jeu du roi'' (1991), TV film directed by

Marc Evans Marc Evans (born 1963) is a Welsh director of film and television, whose credits include the films ''House of America'', '' Resurrection Man'' and ''My Little Eye''. Biography Evans was born in 1963 in Cardiff, Wales. He studied for a history ...

* ''L'Île bleue'' (2001), TV film directed by

Nadine Trintignant Nadine Trintignant (née Marquand; born 11 November 1934) is a French film director, producer, editor, screenwriter, and novelist. She is known for making films that surround the topic of family and relationships, such as '' Ça n'arrive qu'aux a ...

* ''Sept cavaliers'' (2008–2010), comic book in three volumes by

Jacques Terpant Jacques Terpant, born 11 April 1957 in Romans-sur-Isère, Drôme, is a French comics artist. He debuted in 1982 with the comic book ''Branle-bas de combat'', made together with Luc Cornillon. His style is inspired by Jean Giraud. In 2011 he recei ...

* ''Le Royaume de Borée'' (2011–2014), comic book in three volumes by Jacques Terpant

Quotations

* “One cannot be a man, fully, from the moment one admits that others exist. For one is no more than a copy, a vague facsimile drawn from a billion examples. One mustnʼt know anything about others, or at least by ruthless choice, unless it is how to invent oneself on oneʼs own, – everything has been so repeated."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raspail, Jean 1925 births 2020 deaths Counter-revolutionaries People from Indre-et-Loire French explorers French monarchists 20th-century French novelists 21st-century French novelists French travel writers Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française winners Prix du Livre Inter winners Saint-Jean de Passy alumni French anti-communists French conspiracy theorists French male novelists French Roman Catholics French Roman Catholic writers Prix Maison de la Presse winners Grand prix Jean Giono recipients French science fiction writers 20th-century French male writers 21st-century French male writers French male non-fiction writers Anti-immigration activists