Romain Gary was a writer and a novelist, the only one who was awarded 2 times the French most prestigious literary award, the Goncourt Prize, in 1956 and 1975 (the second time under the name of Emile Ajar). He was also an airmen who volunteered in the Free French Air Force during WWII and a "Compagnon de la Libération", this very restricted group of the most distinguished Resistants. After the war, he also became a diplomat.
He was born in Vilan, in the russian empire, in a jewish family. He arrived in Nice at the age of 14, with his mother, in 1928. His name was then Roman Kacew. He studied in the lycée Masséna high school.
His mother found a job as the manager of a small hotel : le Mermont. It is located 7, boulevard Grosso.
He was married to Jane Seberg. When she had an affair with Clint Eastwood, Gary went to Los Angeles to challenge him. Eastwood, knowing Gary's history of fighter thought it wiser and more careful not to confront him.
Romain Gary killed himself in 1980. The historical library of Nice was named after him.
Ses livres.