Who was Roland Garros, whose name is also that of a stadium where one of the four major tennis tournaments is held, along with the Australian Open, Wimbledon in the UK and the US Open in the USA?

An aviator born on October 6, 1888, Roland Garros gave his life for France during the devastating Great War, dying at the age of 30 on October 5, 1918, one day short of his birthday and one month before the November 11 armistice.

As for Edmond Audemars?

Few remember this remarkable Swiss pilot.

Roland and Edmond enchanted the skies of Europe, America and Africa from 1910 to 1914. They helped make France the world's leading aeronautical nation at the time, and still inspire dreams today.

Roland's death in 1918? Air combat or the choice to disappear?

The question is asked. But as the story of these two men unfolds, one thing becomes clear: an exemplary friendship driven by a shared passion for air and flight.

Elegant poems by Jean Cocteau and Alan Seegers echo.

After a career devoted to industrial expertise and conciliation, Jean-Bruno Kerisel (S1962) revisits his aeronautical youth with this exo-biography of Roland Garros.

Roland Garros - The cloud kisser