After World War I, he turned to journalism and travelling, and started writing for magazines Je sais tout, Le Matin and L'Intransigeant.
He travelled extensively in Central and East Africa, and wrote a series of articles about Ethiopia for L'Écho de Paris.
He published his first book, Thi-Bâ, fille d'Annam, in 1920, for which he was awarded Prix de Jouy by the Académie Française.
[2] D'Esme became known for his adventure novels, most notably Les Dieux Rouges, published in English as The Red Gods.
[3] He has also written numerous biographies, mostly of colonial military heroes, and a number of books for children.