A provocative and irreverent book of one of the great authors of French literature
The eleven thousand cocks tells the story of Mony Vibescu, a Romanian hospital who embarks to Paris to the search for adventures, where he knows cultuline d'Ancône, a prostitute with which he will be immersed in numerous and truculent sexual adventures to from that moment. After his return to Bucharest, the protagonist is invited to participate in the Russian-Japanese war as Russian Lieutenant, which he accepts motivated by the "perversions" that a war is able to provide and cover up. Indeed, the scenario is perfect for chaos and the violence of a conflict to develop the most depraved scenes.

Published in 1907, Apollinaire brought to light his work under anonymity and soon this was disseminated throughout Paris. By its erotic theme, the book has inevitably been compared to the work of the Marquis de Sade, although Apollinaire exhibits a greater one violence and brutality. Authors such as Braque, Aragon, Picasso or Breton claimed his narrative as an exponent of the surrealist movement, which they defended.