Dominique Lapierre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dominique Lapierre
|
|
|---|---|
Lapierre being awarded the Padma Bhushan by President of India Pratibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, May 5, 2008.
|
|
| Born | 30 July 1931 Châtelaillon, Charente-Maritime, France
|
| Died | 2 December 2022 (aged 91) Saint-Tropez, France
|
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Lafayette College |
| Academic work | |
| Notable works | Freedom at Midnight City of Joy |
Dominique Lapierre (born July 30, 1931 – died December 2, 2022) was a famous French author. He wrote many popular books, often about real historical events. He was also known for his charity work.
Contents
Life and Early Adventures
Dominique Lapierre was born in Châtelaillon-Plage, France. When he was 13, he traveled to the U.S. with his father. His father was a French diplomat.
Dominique went to a Jesuit school in New Orleans. He also worked as a paper boy there. He soon loved traveling, writing, and cars.
During a summer break, he fixed up an old 1927 Nash car. He decided to drive across the United States. He earned money by painting mailboxes. Later, he got a scholarship to study the Aztec civilization in Mexico.
He hitchhiked all over the U.S. He wrote articles and gave talks. He even cleaned sirens on a boat going back to Europe. Once, a truck driver stole his suitcase. Dominique found the driver before the police did. The Chicago Tribune newspaper paid him $100 for his exciting story.
His 20,000-mile adventure started with only $30. This journey led to his first book, A Dollar for a Thousand Kilometers. It became a bestseller in France and other European countries.
Honeymoon Around the World
When Dominique was 18, he received a Fulbright Scholarship. He used it to study economics at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1952.
That year, he bought a 1937 Chrysler car for $30. He fell in love with a fashion editor. They got married in New York City Hall on his 21st birthday. For their honeymoon, they drove to Mexico in the old Chrysler. They had only $300, just enough for gas and cheap motels.
In Los Angeles, they won another $300 on a radio game show. The prize also included a case of soup. This soup was their only food for three weeks! Dominique sold the Chrysler for $400 in San Francisco. He bought two tickets to Japan on a ship.
Their honeymoon lasted a whole year. They worked their way across Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and Lebanon. When they returned to France, Dominique wrote his second book, Honeymoon Around the Earth.
Working with Larry Collins
After his honeymoon, Dominique joined the French army. He worked as an interpreter at the SHAPE headquarters. There, he met an American soldier named Larry Collins. They became instant friends.
Larry later became a correspondent for Newsweek magazine. Dominique became a reporter for Paris Match magazine. Even though they were friends, they often competed for stories. So, they decided to work together. They wanted to tell big stories that would interest people in France and English-speaking countries.
Their first book together was Is Paris Burning?. It sold nearly ten million copies in 30 languages. In this book, they combined modern investigative journalism with historical research.
They spent four years in Jerusalem for their next book, O Jerusalem!. This book told the story of how the State of Israel was created. Dominique was proud that he knew every street and building in Jerusalem after spending so much time there.
Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins wrote several books together. Their last book was Is New York Burning? (2005), before Larry Collins passed away. Dominique also spoke fluent Bengali.
Helping Others: City of Joy Foundation
Dominique Lapierre's book City of Joy tells about the brave people in a slum in Kolkata, India. Dominique gave half of the money he earned from this book to help people in Kolkata.
He supported many projects, like:
- Homes for children with leprosy and polio.
- Medical clinics and schools.
- Workshops to help people learn skills.
- Programs for education and sanitation.
- Hospital boats.
To make sure the money went to the right place, he started a charity called Action Aid for Calcutta Lepers' Children. His wife, Dominique Conchon-Lapierre, helped him with the City of Joy Foundation.
The money from his book Five Past Midnight in Bhopal also goes to help people. It supports the Sambhavna clinic in Bhopal, India. This clinic gives free medical care to victims of the 1984 Bhopal disaster. Dominique also funded a primary school in one of the areas described in the book.
Love for Cars and Travel
Dominique loved cars from a young age. When he was six, he admired his uncle's American cars. As a student at Lafayette College, he bought an old convertible Chrysler Royal from a junkyard for $30. Forty-five years later, he saw a photo of the same car. He bought it back at an auction!
As a student at the University of Paris, he bought an old Amil car. He and a friend drove it all the way to Ankara, Turkey. He even had to drive the car backward to get enough power to climb mountain passes! Later, for his 40th birthday, he bought a Rolls-Royce. He drove it from Bombay to Saint-Tropez, passing through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey.
Death
Dominique Lapierre passed away on December 2, 2022. He was 91 years old.
Awards
In 2008, Dominique Lapierre received the Padma Bhushan. This is India's third-highest award for civilians. He received it for his social work.
Book to Film Adaptations
Several of Dominique Lapierre's books have been made into movies:
- Is Paris Burning? (1966) was a film directed by René Clément. It was based on the book Is Paris Burning?.
- City of Joy (1992) was a film directed by Roland Joffé. It was based on the novel City of Joy.
- A Cloud Over Bhopal (2001) was a documentary directed by Gerardo Olivares and Larry Levene. It was based on the book Five Past Midnight in Bhopal.
- O Jerusalem (film) (2006) was a film by Elie Chouraqui.
- Viceroy's House (2017) was a film directed by Gurinder Chadha. It was based on the book Freedom at Midnight.
See also
In Spanish: Dominique Lapierre para niños
