Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne
"Five Weeks in a Balloon" by Jules Verne is a novel written in the mid-19th century that showcases the adventurous spirit of exploration during that era. The story follows Dr. Samuel Ferguson, an intrepid explorer determined to traverse Africa from east to west in a balloon—a daring concept that intertwines elements of discovery, adventure, and humor in a satirical take on contemporary travel literature. At the start of the book, we are
introduced to Dr. Ferguson amidst a grand presentation at the Royal Geographical Society, where he proposes his ambitious plan to cross Africa by balloon. The opening chapters detail Ferguson's past adventures, his close friendship with the rugged hunter Dick Kennedy, and their preparations for the journey. Ferguson’s character is depicted as both brilliant and somewhat eccentric, as he defends his unusual idea amidst skepticism from his peers. The dynamic between the optimistic Joe, their loyal servant, and the cautious Kennedy adds a layer of camaraderie and tension as they prepare for the journey that promises to be as much a spectacle as an exploration. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Verne, Jules, 1828-1905 |
|---|---|
| Uniform Title | Cinq semaines en ballon. English |
| Title |
Five Weeks in a Balloon Or, Journeys and Discoveries in Africa by Three Englishmen |
| Original Publication | New York : Appleton & Co., 1869 |
| Note | Reading ease score: 71.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Weeks_in_a_Balloon |
| Note |
Publisher's note: "Compiled in French by Jules Verne, from the original notes of Dr. Ferguson; and done into English by "William Lackland." Dr. Ferguson is the fictional protagonist. William Lackland is the pseudonym of the anonymous translator, used by the New York publisher for this 1869 edition, as archived at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, cf.: http://www.sil.si.edu/imagegalaxy/imagegalaxy_imageDetail.cfm?id_image=7666 |
| Credits | Judy Boss and David Widger |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Africa -- Fiction |
| Subject | Adventure stories |
| Subject | Travel -- Fiction |
| Subject | Balloons -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 3526 |
| Release Date | Nov 1, 2002 |
| Most Recently Updated | Jul 11, 2024 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 642 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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