Their marriage would last 30 years and produce five children. In 1953 he married American movie star Patricia Neal.

Most historians agree that Dahl’s lowest estimate of aerial victories is five.ĭahl’s life was going well. When the war was over Dahl had earned the rare title of flying ace, meaning that he had secured more than five aerial victories. Steven Spielberg’s 1984 classic movie Gremlins takes its title and physical appearance of Dahl's gremlins. Although Walt Disney published the book, a film adaption was never made. The book’s protagonist, a pilot named Gus, convinces the Gremlins to join forces against the Nazis.

In retaliation, they sabotage British fighter planes. The book is about creatures called gremlins who are native to a forest that was cut down to make room for an aircraft factory. Dahl completed his first children’s book, titled The Gremlins and sent it for approval to his bosses, who forwarded it to British movie producer and entrepreneur Sidney Bernstein, who in turn forwarded it to Walt Disney, who loved the story and wanted to turn it into a movie. When he sold his first article, titled 'Shot Down Over Libya' to the Saturday Evening Post, he was working in Washington, D.C. In one letter he quipped, 'Why doesn’t Mussolini take up some useful hobby? He could collect birds’ eggs instead of countries.' Dahl fought hard in Libya, which was under the control of fascist Italy for most of the war. During the war Dahl wrote frequent letters to his mother. In 1941 Dahl took part in the Battle of Athens alongside Pat Pattle, who is considered the finest ace pilot in the history of the RAF. In that same year Dahl joined the Royal Air Force and was soon fighting in the African theater of the war. Great Britain declared war against Nazi Germany in 1939. The first was his older sister’s death due to appendicitis, which was followed soon after by his father’s death from pneumonia. In 1920, when he was three, Roald experienced two tragic losses. Roald grew up speaking both Norwegian and English. Born September 13, 1916, he is a writer who has touched the hearts of generations.ĭahl is of Norwegian origin, but he was born and raised in Cardiff, Wales in the United Kingdom. Roald Dahl has been a literary icon for generations.

The story of matilda