--- product_id: 6605178 title: "Sagittarius Rising (Penguin Classics)" price: "€ 33.71" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.at/products/6605178-sagittarius-rising-penguin-classics store_origin: AT region: Austria --- # Sagittarius Rising (Penguin Classics) **Price:** € 33.71 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Sagittarius Rising (Penguin Classics) - **How much does it cost?** € 33.71 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.at](https://www.desertcart.at/products/6605178-sagittarius-rising-penguin-classics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A memoir by a WWI fighter pilot, with the adventurous spirit of War Horse and the charm of The Little Prince A singular, lyrical book, Sagittarius Rising is at once an exuberant memoir from the Lost Generation and a riveting tale of the early days of flight during World War I. Cecil Lewis lied his way into the British Army’s Royal Flying Corps at age sixteen and was ordered to a squadron on the Western Front only a year later. At the time, flying was so new that designers hadn’t even decided on basic mechanics such as how many wings a plane should have. Despite this, Lewis mastered virtually every kind of single-engine plane in the RFC, going on to excel in active duty and even to dogfight the Red Baron—and live to tell the tale. Full of infectious charm and written with the prose and pacing of a novel, Sagittarius Rising beautifully recounts Lewis’s harrowing exploits in the sky alongside his wild times of partying and chasing girls while on leave in London. His coming-of-age story is unlike any other WWI memoir you’ve read before. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Review: A near masterpiece - Cecil Lewis is certainly one of the most eloquent authors it has been my pleasure to read. His prose is beautifully poetic; his descriptive language paints vivid pictures of still life and action. He might say that war inspires art more than peace but his post-World War One writing, while perhaps not as exciting as his wartime narratives, is equally profound and brilliant. I don’t know how many passages I highlighted. Some are set aside for the wisdom they impart; others so that those who may consider this book on Goodreads may marvel at how beautiful the English language can sound. It compares favorably, for me, with two conversations by actors Charles Laughton and Peter Ustinov in the movie SPARTACUS. I read in Leonard Wolf’s THE ANNOTATED DRACULA that a masterpiece is not without flaws. (This might be a Chinese proverb.) There is a flaw in this one, not in the writing but in the writer, one which he exposes. In the final chapter, Lewis wrote a very racist paragraph directed at the Chinese and black people. I did not highlight it; I saw no reason to perpetuate his ideas. That being said, I am not about to throw the baby out with the bath water. Five stars. Review: Well written WWI fighter pilot first account, but get your own aircraft reference - Written nearly 20 years after the events described, Sagittarius Rising is surprisingly filled with great day to day details of Cecil Lewis' experience with the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. The book is easy to read and maintains interest with very few private life tangents. For those who are pilots, the most amazing information is how little instruction was given to pilots before they soloed, and how few hours solo time a pilot would have before being sent to the front. The flying and air battle accounts are vivid. In one part, he relates how during an early patrol alone, he spotted a yellow cloud enveloping the trenches. Even though he was already safely at 3500 feet, he instinctively pulled back to climb as quickly as possible. He said that he became physically sick as he contemplated the horrible death being visited upon the soldiers below. At this point, and a few others, Lewis then goes on a slight tangent describing his political view on the war. Lewis' take on the war, 20 years after the fact, is clearly jaundiced against the justification for war. It is interesting to note the contrast between authors like McCudden and Biddle, who wrote during the war, and Lewis who wrote after popular opinion had shifted markedly toward pacifism. Between the lines you can clearly read the opposition to any `new' continental war, and the author's discounting the threat posed by Germany in 1936 (implied only). The biographical sketch on the author points out that he went back into the Royal Air Force during World War II, so perhaps his views changed again once the menace posed by Hitler was clearer, or maybe his views matured to draw a distinction between the entanglements that broadened the first world war, and the life or death struggle for national suvival in the second. Unfortunately, there is no update or 'new' introduction or afterward to let us know. The author does spend significant time on his personal life. In fairness to the reader though, he warns that the next section might not be of interest to readers primarily interested in the war and/or aviation. This is another difference between Sagittarius Rising and other World War I aviation accounts - Lewis describes his life after the war. He went to China working for Vickers to train the Chinese Air Force. The description of the political situation and corruption in China is interesting, but the state of the Chinese Air Force and how totally unqualified, but well-connected, students were taught to fly is tragic. No less tragic is how the competent pilots in China lives were squandered in poorly though out ventures. The episode in China is just a couple of chapters and definitely worth the read. All readers interested in early aviation and/or World War I will find the entire book informative, and interesting. One challenge for the reader is the many references to types of aircraft, and some paragraphs are confusing unless you have a World War I aircraft reference book. Unfortunately, many references are just to the manufacturer (e.g. Bristol or Avro) rather than the specific model. Sometimes, the author refers to another name for an aircraft than the official name. A good reference book can help you sort through it and tie it to the description. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I was adequate. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #213,984 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #48 in WWI Biographies #93 in World War I History (Books) #217 in Military Aviation History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,244 Reviews | ## Images ![Sagittarius Rising (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-jVYBvnkL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A near masterpiece *by L***N on June 18, 2019* Cecil Lewis is certainly one of the most eloquent authors it has been my pleasure to read. His prose is beautifully poetic; his descriptive language paints vivid pictures of still life and action. He might say that war inspires art more than peace but his post-World War One writing, while perhaps not as exciting as his wartime narratives, is equally profound and brilliant. I don’t know how many passages I highlighted. Some are set aside for the wisdom they impart; others so that those who may consider this book on Goodreads may marvel at how beautiful the English language can sound. It compares favorably, for me, with two conversations by actors Charles Laughton and Peter Ustinov in the movie SPARTACUS. I read in Leonard Wolf’s THE ANNOTATED DRACULA that a masterpiece is not without flaws. (This might be a Chinese proverb.) There is a flaw in this one, not in the writing but in the writer, one which he exposes. In the final chapter, Lewis wrote a very racist paragraph directed at the Chinese and black people. I did not highlight it; I saw no reason to perpetuate his ideas. That being said, I am not about to throw the baby out with the bath water. Five stars. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well written WWI fighter pilot first account, but get your own aircraft reference *by B***R on May 19, 2006* Written nearly 20 years after the events described, Sagittarius Rising is surprisingly filled with great day to day details of Cecil Lewis' experience with the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. The book is easy to read and maintains interest with very few private life tangents. For those who are pilots, the most amazing information is how little instruction was given to pilots before they soloed, and how few hours solo time a pilot would have before being sent to the front. The flying and air battle accounts are vivid. In one part, he relates how during an early patrol alone, he spotted a yellow cloud enveloping the trenches. Even though he was already safely at 3500 feet, he instinctively pulled back to climb as quickly as possible. He said that he became physically sick as he contemplated the horrible death being visited upon the soldiers below. At this point, and a few others, Lewis then goes on a slight tangent describing his political view on the war. Lewis' take on the war, 20 years after the fact, is clearly jaundiced against the justification for war. It is interesting to note the contrast between authors like McCudden and Biddle, who wrote during the war, and Lewis who wrote after popular opinion had shifted markedly toward pacifism. Between the lines you can clearly read the opposition to any `new' continental war, and the author's discounting the threat posed by Germany in 1936 (implied only). The biographical sketch on the author points out that he went back into the Royal Air Force during World War II, so perhaps his views changed again once the menace posed by Hitler was clearer, or maybe his views matured to draw a distinction between the entanglements that broadened the first world war, and the life or death struggle for national suvival in the second. Unfortunately, there is no update or 'new' introduction or afterward to let us know. The author does spend significant time on his personal life. In fairness to the reader though, he warns that the next section might not be of interest to readers primarily interested in the war and/or aviation. This is another difference between Sagittarius Rising and other World War I aviation accounts - Lewis describes his life after the war. He went to China working for Vickers to train the Chinese Air Force. The description of the political situation and corruption in China is interesting, but the state of the Chinese Air Force and how totally unqualified, but well-connected, students were taught to fly is tragic. No less tragic is how the competent pilots in China lives were squandered in poorly though out ventures. The episode in China is just a couple of chapters and definitely worth the read. All readers interested in early aviation and/or World War I will find the entire book informative, and interesting. One challenge for the reader is the many references to types of aircraft, and some paragraphs are confusing unless you have a World War I aircraft reference book. Unfortunately, many references are just to the manufacturer (e.g. Bristol or Avro) rather than the specific model. Sometimes, the author refers to another name for an aircraft than the official name. A good reference book can help you sort through it and tie it to the description. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I was adequate. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sagittarius Rising - reviewed *by H***E on January 12, 2011* It's a little early for me to fully review this book as I haven't completely read it yet - but I have started and what I have read so far is very good. The book holds the atmosphere and wonderful descriptions from a lost and bygone era. The book feeds the technical fascination for the early bi-planes in a very human way which is both compelling and believable. Seen through the eyes of a young trainee pilot the book takes you through his basic training and the early flying experiences as an officer in the RFC. The book describes the military culture of the time and describes the young man's reaction to living on his nerves and the constant loss of his flying pals. The book still manages to convey the unbounded excitement the author had for flying the old bi-planes. For anyone who has a similar interest in this period of early aviation or WW1 history I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to them. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.at/products/6605178-sagittarius-rising-penguin-classics](https://www.desertcart.at/products/6605178-sagittarius-rising-penguin-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart Austria* *Store origin: AT* *Last updated: 2026-07-13*