New Releases by Jules Verne

This is an illustrated edition featuring vivid artwork, a complete summary, an author biography, and a full characters list. A Journey to the Centre of the Earth is Jules Verne’s exhilarating tale of scientific curiosity and daring exploration. The story follows the determined Professor Otto Lidenbrock, his loyal nephew Axel, and their experienced guide Hans as they embark on a remarkable expedition deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Their journey leads them through ancient tunnels, vast caverns, subterranean forests, and prehistoric landscapes filled with astonishing wonders and hidden dangers. Verne’s imaginative storytelling creates a world where science, adventure, and mystery blend seamlessly. This beautifully illustrated edition brings the novel to life with striking artwork that enhances every step of the underground adventure. A clear and engaging summary helps readers grasp the story’s key events and scientific ideas, while the included author biography offers insight into Jules Verne’s life, influences, and visionary imagination. A detailed characters list supports readers as they follow the explorers through their thrilling descent. Perfect for classic literature fans, students, collectors, and lovers of adventure fiction, this edition offers a visually enriched and accessible way to enjoy Verne’s timeless masterpiece. Rediscover the excitement, discovery, and wonder of one of the most enduring science fiction novels ever written.

From the Earth to the Moon; and, Round the Moon by Jules Verne: Follow the thrilling journey of a group of intrepid explorers as they attempt to launch a manned rocket to the moon in this classic work of science fiction by Jules Verne. With its imaginative concepts and vivid storytelling, "From the Earth to the Moon" remains one of Verne''s most beloved works. Key Aspects of the Book "From the Earth to the Moon; and, Round the Moon": Science Fiction: The book showcases Verne''s imaginative concepts and visionary storytelling, offering a glimpse into the possibilities of science and technology. Space Travel: The book explores the challenges and intricacies of space travel, providing a detailed look at the science and engineering behind a manned mission to the moon. Adventure: With its thrilling plot and engaging characters, the book is a classic adventure story, capturing the excitement and wonder of exploration and discovery. Jules Verne was a French author who lived from 1828 to 1905. He is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of science fiction, known for his imaginative concepts and visionary storytelling. "From the Earth to the Moon" is one of his most celebrated works.

"The Secret of the Island" by Jules Verne is one of a series of adventure stories written by the famed writer. Originally printed in magazines for young readers in Paris, the stories have garnered fans for over a century. Mystery and science-fiction come together in a way that only Verne knows how to weave in this book that will keep readers entranced until the very last word.

A Journey to the Center of the Earth was a science fiction novel written by Jules Verne in 1864. Jules Verne was considered by many to be a father of science fiction writing and incorporated the latest discoveries of the day into his work. As such, we are not surprised to find allusions to dinosaurs, natural gas, and ancient Scandinavian texts in this book. Equally, we also find the thorough respect that Verne has for the intellectual mind, both as a reckless force and as a tempering power.

One night in the reform club, Phileas Fogg bets his companions that he can travel across the globe in just eighty days. Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, he immediately sets off for Dover with his astonished valet Passepartout. Passing through exotic lands and dangerous locations, they seize whatever transportation is at handwhether train or elephantovercoming set-backs and always racing against the clock.

The Mysterious Island (French: L''Île mystérieuse) is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1875. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a crossover sequel to Verne''s famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870) and In Search of the Castaways (1867-68), though its themes are vastly different from those books. An early draft of the novel, initially rejected by Verne''s publisher and wholly reconceived before publication, was titled Shipwrecked Family: Marooned with Uncle Robinson, seen as indicating the influence of the novels Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson. Verne developed a similar theme in his later novel, Godfrey Morgan (French: L''École des Robinsons, 1882).

Master of the World (French: Maître du monde), published in 1904, is one of the last novels by French pioneer science fiction writer, Jules Verne. It is a sequel to Robur the Conqueror. At the time wrote the novel, his health was failing. Master of the World is a "black novel," filled with foreboding and fear of the rise of tyrants such as the novel''s villain, Robur, and totalitarianism.Plot outlineSet in the summer of 1903, a series of unexplained events occur across the Eastern United States, caused by objects moving with such great speed that they are nearly invisible. The first-person narrator, John Strock, ''Head inspector in the federal police department'' in Washington, DC, travels to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to investigate. He discovers that all the phenomena are being caused by Robur, a brilliant inventor. (He was previously featured as a character in Verne''s Robur the Conqueror.)Robur has perfected a new machine, which he has dubbed the Terror. It is a ten-meter long vehicle, capable of operating as a speedboat, submarine, automobile, or aircraft. It can travel at the (then) unheard of speed of 150 miles per hour on land and at more than 200 mph when flying.Strock tries to capture the Terror but instead is captured himself. Robur drives the strange craft to elude his pursuers, heading to the Caribbean and into a thunderstorm. The Terror is struck by lightning, breaks apart, and falls into the ocean. Strock is rescued from the vehicle''s wreckage, but Robur''s body is never found. The reader is left to decide whether or not he has died.

The Mysterious Island (French: L''Île mystérieuse) is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1875. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a crossover sequel to Verne''s famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870) and In Search of the Castaways (1867-68), though its themes are vastly different from those books. An early draft of the novel, initially rejected by Verne''s publisher and wholly reconceived before publication, was titled Shipwrecked Family: Marooned with Uncle Robinson, seen as indicating the influence of the novels Robinson Crusoe[1] and The Swiss Family Robinson.[2] Verne developed a similar theme in his later novel, Godfrey Morgan (French: L''École des Robinsons, 1882).

There was a large audience assembled on the 14th of January, 1862, at the session of the Royal Geographical Society, No. 3 Waterloo Place, London. The president, Sir Francis M -, made an important communication to his colleagues, in an address that was frequently interrupted by applause. This rare specimen of eloquence terminated with the following sonorous phrases bubbling over with patriotism: "England has always marched at the head of nations" (for, the reader will observe, the nations always march at the head of each other), "by the intrepidity of her explorers in the line of geographical discovery." (General assent). "Dr. Samuel Ferguson, one of her most glorious sons, will not reflect discredit on his origin."

The most popular novel by Jules Verne.The main character is an English gentleman - Phileas Fogg, a sedate, wealthy but modest loner. They are betting £ 20,000 with their friends to travel the world in 80 days. He sets off on a journey with a newly hired French servant. They are followed by an English detective - Fix, who is convinced that Fogg is the perpetrator of stealing a significant amount of money from a London bank.The journey takes place using many means of transport, is diversified with adventures that prevent you from reaching your destination on time.When Verne wrote his novel, going around the world in 80 days was an impressive achievement.

The Mysterious Island (French: L''Île mystérieuse) is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1875. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a crossover sequel to Verne''s famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870) and In Search of the Castaways (1867-68), though its themes are vastly different from those books. An early draft of the novel, initially rejected by Verne''s publisher and wholly reconceived before publication, was titled Shipwrecked Family: Marooned with Uncle Robinson, seen as indicating the influence of the novels Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson.Verne developed a similar theme in his later novel, Godfrey Morgan (French: L''École des Robinsons, 1882).

The classic adventure novel—and basis for the Disney film—from the author of Around the World in Eighty Days and Journey to the Center of the Earth. After the Britannia is shipwrecked, Captain Grant casts a message in a bottle into the ocean and hopes for the best. When the bottle is found by Lord and Lady Glenarvan of Scotland, they contact the captain''s children, Mary and Robert. But the Scottish government refuses to launch a rescue expedition. Moved by the children''s plight, Lord and Lady Glenarvan offer up their yacht and they set out as a group for South America. From Patagonia to Australia, they will encounter pirates, cannibals, settlers, and explorers in the adventure of a lifetime.

Godfrey Morgan: A Californian Mystery by Jules Verne: Embark on a Californian mystery with Jules Verne''s narrative of Godfrey Morgan. In this adventure, readers follow Godfrey''s journey as he navigates uncharted territories, unexpected encounters, and the enigma of the Californian landscape. Key Aspects of the Book "Godfrey Morgan: A Californian Mystery by Jules Verne": Adventure and Exploration: Verne''s narrative takes readers on a thrilling journey filled with exploration, danger, and unexpected twists, capturing the spirit of adventure. Mystery and Intrigue: The Californian mystery at the heart of the story challenges Godfrey and his companions, inviting readers to engage in solving the enigma alongside the characters. Exploration of Setting: The novel offers insights into the diverse landscapes and cultures of California, portraying the region''s natural beauty and its impact on the characters'' experiences. Jules Verne was a French author known for his pioneering works in science fiction and adventure literature. Through Godfrey Morgan, Verne invites readers to venture into the unknown and embrace the thrill of exploration.

"From the Earth to the Moon" (French: "De la terre à la lune") is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil War society of weapons aficionados, and their attempts to build an enormous sky-facing Columbiad space gun and launch three people — the Gun Club's president, his Philadelphian armor-making rival, and a French poet — in a projectile with the goal of a moon landing. The story is also notable in that Verne attempted to do some rough calculations as to the requirements for the cannon and, considering the comparative lack of any data on the subject at the time, some of his figures are surprisingly close to reality. However, his scenario turned out to be impractical for safe manned space travel since a much longer muzzle would have been required to reach escape velocity while limiting acceleration to survivable limits for the passengers. The character of Michel Ardan, the French poet in the novel, was inspired by the real-life photographer Félix Nadar.

Why buy our paperbacks? Expedited shipping High Quality Paper Made in USA Standard Font size of 10 for all books 30 Days Money Back Guarantee BEWARE of Low-quality sellers Don''t buy cheap paperbacks just to save a few dollars. Most of them use low-quality papers & binding. Their pages fall off easily. Some of them even use very small font size of 6 or less to increase their profit margin. It makes their books completely unreadable. How is this book unique? Unabridged (100% Original content) Font adjustments & biography included Illustrated An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne An Antarctic Mystery is a two-volume novel by Jules Verne. Written in 1897, it is a response to Edgar Allan Poe''s 1838 novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. It follows the adventures of the narrator and his journey from the Kerguelen Islands aboard Halbrane. The story is set in 1839, eleven years after the events in Arthur Gordon Pym, one year after the publication of that book. The narrator is a wealthy American Jeorling, who has entertained himself with private studies of the wildlife on the Kerguelen Islands and is now looking for a passage back to the USA. Halbrane is one of the first ships to arrive at Kerguelen, and its captain Len Guy somewhat reluctantly agrees to have Jeorling as a passenger as far as Tristan da Cunha. Underway, they meet a stray iceberg with a dead body on it, which turns out to be a sailor from Jane. A note found with him indicates that he and several others including Jane''s captain William Guy had survived the assassination attempt at Tsalal and are still alive. Guy, who had talked to Jeorling earlier about the subject of Pym, reveals himself to be the brother of William Guy. He decides to try to come to the rescue of Jane''s crew. After taking on provisions on Tristan da Cunha and the Falklands, they head South with Jeorling still on board. They also take aboard another mysterious sailor named Hunt who is eager to join the search for undisclosed reasons.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne, first published in 1877. The story involves a professor who leads his nephew and hired guide down a volcano in Iceland to the "center of the Earth". They encounter many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy. Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French novelist who pioneered the genre of science fiction. A true visionary with an extraordinary talent for writing adventure stories, his writings incorporated the latest scientific knowledge of his day and envisioned technological developments that were years ahead of their time. Verne wrote about undersea, air, and space travel long before any navigable or practical craft were invented. Verne wrote over 50 novels and numerous short stories.

As irascible scholar Professor Lidenbrock pores over a rare Icelandic tome, he discovers a scrap of parchment with cryptic writing tucked away between the ancient pages. And when his nephew, Axel, finally breaks the writing's secret code, he learns of a hidden underground passageway that may lead deep into the center of the earth. Despite Axel's misgivings, he and the obsessed Lidenbrock travel to Iceland and, with a guide named Hans, set out on a perilous expedition in the course of which the trio will encounter an extraordinary new world of extinct yet living species, an underground sea, and gigantic, battling monsters.Filled with the authentic detail and startling immediacy Jules Verne labored to bring to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth is the fantastic adventure that secured Verne's reputation as the premier writer of speculative fiction. Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who helped pioneer the science-fiction genre. He is best known for novels such as A Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Verne is often referred to as the "Father of science fiction" as he wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before navigable aircraft and practical submarines were invented, and before any means of space travel had been devised. In 1857 he met Pierre-Jules Hetzel, one of the most important French publishers of the 19th century. Hetzel's advice improved Verne's writings, which until then had been rejected by other publishers. Hetzel read a draft of Verne's story about the balloon exploration of Africa, which had previously been rejected on the grounds that it was "too scientific." With Hetzel's help, he rewrote the story and in 1863 it was published in book form as Five Weeks in a Balloon (Cinq semaines en ballon). Acting on Hetzel's advice, Verne added comical accents to his novels, changed sad endings into happy ones, and toned down various political messages. From that point on, and for nearly a quarter of a century, scarcely a year passed in which Hetzel did not publish one or more of his stories. In 1888, he entered politics and was elected town councillor of Amiens where he championed several improvements and served for 15 years. In 1905, while ill with diabetes, Verne died at his home.

Title: Around the World in 80 DaysAuthor: Jules VerneLanguage: English

How is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Illustrated About Michael Strogoff or, The Courier of the Czar by Jules Verne Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876. Critics, including Leonard S. Davidow, writing from Reading, Pennsylvania, in his 1937 introduction to The Spencer Press reprint as a volume in its "Classic Romances of Literature" series consider it one of Verne''s best books. Davidow wrote, "Jules Verne has written no better book than this, in fact it is deservedly ranked as one of the most thrilling tales ever written." Unlike some of Verne''s other famous novels, it is not science fiction, but a scientific phenomenon (Leidenfrost effect) is a plot device. The book was later adapted to a play, by Verne himself and Adolphe D''Ennery. Incidental music to the play was written by Alexandre Artus in 1880. The book has been adapted several times for films, television and cartoon series.

"The classic book has always read again and again.""What is the classic book?""""Why is the classic book?""READ READ READ.. then you''ll know it''s excellence."

How is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Illustrated About All Around the Moon by Jules Verne Jules Verne was born in 1828 in France. His dream was to write a new kind of novel, which combined scientific fact with fiction. Verne eventually wrote 40 novels in his Voyages extraordinaires series. "What one man can imagine, another will someday be able to achieve." Is a quote from an article in the Encyclopedia Britannica that sums up Verne so well. In All Around the Moon, three space travelers are conversing about science and mathematics. They decide to alter the course of their projectile, which leads to unanticipated results. Extract: The moment that the great clock belonging to the works at Stony Hill had struck ten, Barbican, Ardan and M'Nicholl began to take their last farewells of the numerous friends surrounding them. The two dogs intended to accompany them had been already deposited in the Projectile. The three travellers approached the mouth of the enormous cannon, seated themselves in the flying car, and once more took leave for the last time of the vast throng standing in silence around them. The windlass creaked, the car started, and the three daring men disappeared in the yawning gulf. The trap-hole giving them ready access to the interior of theProjectile, the car soon came back empty; the great windlass was presently rolled away; the tackle and scaffolding were removed, and in a short space of time the great mouth of the Columbiad was completely rid of all obstructions.

How is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Illustrated About The Children of Captain Grant by Jules Verne In this adaptation of the classic novel, the entire cast of characters has been transformed into anthropomorphic animals. It begins with a message-actually three water-damaged messages-found in a bottle removed from the belly of a shark. Written in three different languages the messages reveal that the long-missing Captain Grant was shipwrecked and is being held hostage. The only clue from the messages that might be of any help, will lead Lord Glenarvan and Captain Grant''s children on an adventure literally around the world. A message in a bottle relays an urgent plea from the long-missing Captain Grant. His ship, the Britannia, has sunk. He is alive but is being held hostage. Captain Grant''s children, Mary and Robert, along with their friend and benefactor Lord Glenervan launch a rescue expedition. But where do they begin their search? The original SOS message written in three languages is partially destroyed by sea water. The remaining fragments can be interpreted several ways. Only one clue is certain, Captain Grant is somewhere along the 37th parallel. Racing against time, risking their lives, the brave adventurers are determined to find and save the shipwrecked captain.

Dick Sand, A Captain at Fifteen is a Jules Verne novel published in 1878. It deals primarily with the issue of slavery, and the African slave trade by other Africans in particular.Dick Sand is a fifteen-year-old boy serving on the schooner "Pilgrim" as a sailor. The crew are whale hunters that voyage every year down to New Zealand. After an unsuccessful season of hunting, as they plan to return the wife of the owner of the hunting firm, Mrs Weldon, her five-year-old son Jack Weldon and her cousin, B�n�dict, an entomologist ask for a return passage to San Francisco. Several days into the journey they save five shipwrecked passengers from another ship and a dog who was with them at the time.Towards the end of their passage, they notice a whale and the crew, hoping for some profit after a bad season, decide to hunt it. Captain Hull reluctantly leaves Dick responsible for the ship. But the hunt goes awry and all the crew members are killed. Now Dick is left in charge of the ship with no experienced sailors to help him. He tries to teach the five survivors of the shipwreck and tries to reach the coast of South America, but Negoro, the ship''s cook manages to trick them, breaking one of their compasses and their speed measuring device and eventually, after making sure the rest were lost, leads them to equatorial Africa.

The story begins with strange lights and sounds, including blaring trumpet music, reported in the skies all over the world. The events are capped by the mysterious appearance of black flags with gold suns atop tall historic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. These events are all the work of the mysterious Robur (Latin for "oak" and figuratively taken to mean "strength"), a brilliant inventor who intrudes on a meeting of a flight-enthusiast''s club called the Weldon Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This novel, tells the story of the quest for Captain Grant of the sinked ship Britannia, in an adventure around the world . It is the fifth of the Voyages Extraordinaires, the 54-novel-series written by Verne, which in his own words intended "to conclude in story form my whole survey of the world''s surface and the heavens; there are still left corners of the world to which my thoughts have not yet penetrated ... I have dealt with the moon, but a great deal remains to be done."His attention to detail and scientific trivia, and his sense of wonder and exploration, are the backbone of the novels, in which the reader could acquire knowledge of geology, biology, astronomy, paleontology, oceanography, etc., as well as to travel to the exotic locations and cultures of the world through the adventures of Verne''s protagonists.Some of the best known and most popular novels in history are part of this series, including Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863); Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864); Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (1869-70); From the Earth to the Moon (1865); Around the World in Eighty Days (1873), etc.

Jules Verne''s Adventure on the Amazon “That freedom was a right, that the very first of the natural rights of man was to be free and to belong only to himself, would seem to be self-evident, and yet thousands of years had to pass before the glorious thought was generally accepted, and the nations of the earth had the courage to proclaim it.”- Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon, Jules Verne Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon by Jules Verne tells the story of journey on a giant raft with Joam Garral down the Amazon river. The story is filled with detailed descriptions of strange lands, animals, plants and people. This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This eBook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Around the Moon (French: Autour de la Lune, 1870), Jules Verne's sequel to From the Earth to the Moon, is a science fiction novel continuing the trip to the moon which left the reader in suspense after the previous novel. It was later combined with From the Earth to the Moon to create A Trip to the Moon and Around It. The three travelers undergo a series of adventures and misadventures during the rest of the journey, including disposing of the body of a dog out a window, suffering intoxication by gases, and making calculations leading them, briefly, to believe that they are to fall back to Earth. During the latter part of the voyage, it becomes apparent that the gravitational force of their earlier encounter with the asteroid has caused the projectile to deviate from its course. The projectile enters lunar orbit, rather than landing on the moon as originally planned. Barbicane, Ardan and Nicholl begin geographical observations with opera glasses. The projectile then dips over the northern hemisphere of the moon, into the darkness of its shadow. It is plunged into extreme cold, before emerging into the light and heat again. They then begin to approach the moon's southern hemisphere. From the safety of their projectile, they gain spectacular views of Tycho, one of the greatest of all craters on the moon. The three men discuss the possibility of life on the moon, and conclude that it is barren. The projectile begins to move away from the moon, towards the 'dead point' (the place at which the gravitational attraction of the moon and Earth becomes equal). Michel Ardan hits upon the idea of using the rockets fixed to the bottom of the projectile (which they were originally going to use to deaden the shock of landing) to propel the projectile towards the moon and hopefully cause it to fall onto it, thereby achieving their mission.

Unlock the secrets of suspense and intrigue with Jules Verne''s "Ticket No. ''9672'': The Mysterious No. 9672," a captivating mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Join the master of adventure as he weaves a tale of suspense, deception, and unexpected twists and turns. Follow the enigmatic journey of Ticket No. 9672 as it passes through the hands of various characters, each with their own secrets and motivations. From the bustling streets of Paris to the remote corners of the globe, Jules Verne takes readers on a thrilling adventure filled with danger, intrigue, and unexpected revelations. Themes of fate, coincidence, and the interconnectedness of human lives permeate the narrative, inviting readers to ponder the mysteries of destiny and chance. With its clever plot twists and memorable characters, "Ticket No. ''9672''" keeps readers guessing until the very end, offering a satisfying blend of mystery and adventure. With its blend of suspenseful storytelling and thought-provoking themes, "Ticket No. ''9672'': The Mysterious No. 9672" is a must-read for fans of mystery and adventure alike. Jules Verne''s masterful prose and inventive plot make this novel a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers of all ages. Since its publication, "Ticket No. ''9672'': The Mysterious No. 9672" has earned praise for its gripping storyline, memorable characters, and clever plot twists. Verne''s ability to keep readers guessing until the very end has cemented his reputation as one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Prepare to be swept away by the thrilling adventures of "Ticket No. ''9672''" in this captivating mystery by Jules Verne. Whether you''re a fan of classic literature, a lover of mystery and suspense, or simply looking for an exciting read, this book promises to deliver excitement, intrigue, and unexpected twists at every turn. Don''t miss your chance to embark on an unforgettable journey with one of the masters of adventure—grab your copy of "Ticket No. ''9672''" today and prepare to be enthralled.

Some critics claim that Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, published in 1870, is Jules Verne’s masterpiece. The novel is narrated by Professor Pierre Aronnax of the Paris Museum of Natural History. It is set in the year 1866 (Verne was already working on the manuscript at that time) and the world of the sea is in the news with the supposed sightings of a sea monster that is much too large and fast to be a whale. When a boat is damaged, apparently by the sea monster, Aronnax, while on a researching assignment in New York is asked by the United States government to help track down the monster. Aronnax (illustrations of Aronnax in the original edition look very much like Verne) takes his loyal Belgian valet (Conseil) with him – both Aronnax and Conseil are men of science – cool, rational, and possessing encyclopaedic knowledge of the sea. Ned Land serves as their foil – a passionate and foolhardy harpooner from Canada. This annotated edition includes a biography and critical essay.