Five Weeks in a Balloon

By Jules Verne, Julio Verne, Julies Verne, et al.

Book Overview

Five Weeks in a Balloon is not only the first installment in Jules Verne's celebrated Voyages Extraordinaires series, but also the first of Verne's works to earn him widespread popularity as a writer of science fiction and adventure novels.

Following his invention of an ingenious new air balloon capable of long-distance flight, Dr. Samuel Fergusson embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his trusted servant, Joe, and loyal friend, Dick Kennedy. As they make their way through air across the unexplored regions of Africa, they attempt to do what has never been done before: discover the source of the Nile. On the way, they must overcome extreme thirst, withstand assaults from hostile tribes, and stage a series of daring rescues and brilliant escapes. Jules Verne's Five Weeks in a Balloon is a classic novel of hope and determination that asks today's reader to take to the air, if only for a short time, in search of what must always defy belief.

Published in France in 1863, Five Weeks in a Balloon was translated for English-speaking audiences in 1869. This marked the beginning of an illustrious and lucrative career for Verne, whose works have inspired scientists, writers, and filmmakers for over a century. The novel is a curious mix of fantasy and reality, referencing the journeys of real-life adventurers while imagining an innovative and as-yet-unperfected form of exploration, the long-distance hot air balloon. While Five Weeks in a Balloon endures as an exciting and adventurous text, it also provides a unique perspective on the intersection of nineteenth-century science, literature, and the exploration and colonization of Africa.

With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this new edition of Jules Verne's Five Weeks in a Balloon is a classic novel reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1513219251
• ISBN13: 9781513219257
• Release Date: November 2020
• Publisher: Mint Editions
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Time machine too!

I've always enjoyed the Jules Verne favorites (Round the World in 80 days, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea), but it's harder to find JV's other works, despite the fact that he's written over 50 books, so I snatched this one up when I saw it. It's the story of 3 men crossing Africa (then not fully explored at the time) in a balloon (a novel method at the time). So it's basically fiction since no man had crossed that part of Africa and no one had succeed in taking a long trip in a balloon. As a result you have to take his geography and even his science in stride. It has been worked out by others that his balloon could never have made the trip and we now know that his description of that part of Africa was fanciful. So it's fiction, nevertheless it's good fiction. And we have to remember that this book was written over 100 years ago! So when I read this book, it is also an exercise in time travel for me, to read this book as it was written, in 1869, otherwise you will be offended at all the non-politically correct events that happen and the descriptions of the natives and the mind set at that time. It's interesting to note that this book was supposed to be a forerunner to the much beloved Round the World in 80 days and I can imagine Mr. Verne testing out his ideas in this book. Jules Verne was the father of the explorer/adventure type novel and today's authors owe a lot to him. So sit back and travel back 100+ years and try this book!

A grand adventure across an unknown continent.

This is a tale of defying convention and attempting the impossible. To travel across unforgiving Africa at a time when so many had tried and ended up dead for their efforts presents quite a challenge. To do so in an untested but ingenious new invention only adds to the romance. As you follow Dr. Ferguson, Mr. Kennedy, and faithful Joe on their daring adventure you get quite a tour of a continent that for centuries had defied European exploration. While most of the voyage is spent in rather peaceful observation and light-hearted conversation, there are a number of times that incredible danger threatens and the heroes must rely on Providence alone to see them through. As Verne's first book, published in French in 1863, FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON is obviously a product of its time, with frequent phrasings and descriptions of African natives that would likely be pretty insulting to civil rights activists. Also, I'm sure many animal activists would be appalled at the rather brutal and uncaring attitude towards all manner of creatures. It just goes to show you how far we've come in the last 150 years. Jules Verne's scientific aptitude is on display in this book, with relatively complex and believable descriptions of the mechanisms required for long-distance hydrogen balloon flight. Fancies such as these have led many to consider Verne to be the originator of science fiction. He was also obviously quite a history buff, with complete descriptions of previous African explorations found throughout this book. A light and fun read, and a great example of Verne's style.

Five weeks in a ballon

This book is very exiting because ti makes you fell like you are really inside the book i would recomended for kids from 9 years old to adult