Five Weeks in a Balloon

by Jules Verne, Mint Editions (Contribution by)

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781513266336
Publisher:	Mint Editions
Publication date:	11/29/2020
Series:	Mint Editions (Grand Adventures)
Pages:	258
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jules Verne(1828-1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright who is credited as being one of the originators of literary science fiction. His Voyages extraordinaires series of novels include such classics as Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1872). Although he was often regarded derisively as a writer of genre fiction or children’s literature, his influence extended to French avant-garde and surrealist circles, and to this day he is considered one of the finest writers of his generation and a key figure in world literature.

Date of Birth:

February 8, 1828

Date of Death:

March 24, 1905

Place of Birth:

Nantes, France

Place of Death:

Amiens, France

Education:

Nantes lycée and law studies in Paris