It is the continuation and conclusion of Roald Dahl’s autobiography: the first part is Boy. In these pages, Dahl leaves childhood behind and takes us with a frank and very personal step through his youth. He refers to his travels in Africa while working for Shell, tells exotic and sometimes hilarious anecdotes about the continent, and finally his accidental and dizzying entry into the Second World War as a pilot in the Royal Air Force.
The prose is direct, often ironic, and sprinkled with images and scenes that show both the pleasure of adventure and human vulnerability in the face of danger.
It is an absorbing read; it mixes tenderness and sharpness. The anecdotes are woven with a sense of narrative rhythm that sustains interest; they are brief, powerful scenes that leave a lasting impression.
The values it conveys are courage and resilience in the face of danger and adversity—without grandiloquent heroics, but with honesty and practical sense. It celebrates wonder at the unknown and a zest for life. Finally, it shows humility before human fragility, since the author does not conceal his mistakes or fears; this makes him more believable and relatable.
The book is a pleasure to read and leaves a double impression: that of the traveler in search of wonders, and that of the man who learns to survive. All of it is told with the humor and verbal economy that make Roald Dahl an unmistakable storyteller.
It has been a bestseller, with more than three hundred million books sold worldwide.