Born in Nantes in 1828, Verne was the first child of a successful lawyer who fondly imagined his son would follow in his footsteps. Nantes was a maritime port on the River Loire in Brittany, and Jules and his brother Paul learned to sail as children. At the age of eleven, Jules tried to enlist as a cabin-boy on a ship to the Indies, but was caught and punished by his father.

Jules Verne (1828-1905) possessed that rare storyteller's gift of being able to present the far-fetched and the downright unbelievable in such a way as effortlessly to inspire his reader's allegiance and trust.This volume contains two of his best-loved yarns, chosen from among the sixty-four titles of Les Voyages extraordinaires, Verne's pioneering contribution to the canon of modern Science Fiction.

Around the World in Eighty Days (1873) relates the hair-raising journey made as a wager by the Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg, who succeeds - but only just! - in circling the globe within eighty days.The dour Fogg's obsession with his timetable is complemented by the dynamism and versatility of his French manservant, Passepartout,whose talent for getting into scrapes brings colour and suspense to the race against time.

Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863) was Verne's first novel. It documents an apocryphal jaunt across the continent of Africa in a hydrogen balloon designed by the omniscient, imperturbable and ever capable Dr Fergusson, the prototype of the Vernian cerebral adventurer.

   AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS

  I In which Phileas Fogg and Passepartout accept each other as

  master and man                    3

 II In which Passepartout is convinced that he has at last found his

  ideal                        7

III In which a conversation takes place which may prove costly

  for Phileas Fogg                   10

IV In which Phileas Fogg astounds his servant Passepartout   15

 v In which a new kind ofscrip makes its appearance on 'Change 18

vi In which Detective Fix shows very justifiable impatience    20

vii Wich once more shows the futility of passports for police

  purposes                      24

viii In which Passepartout talks rather more freely, perhaps, than

  is advisable                     26

ix In which the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean prove favourable to

  the designs of Phileas Fogg               29

 x In which Passepartout is only too fortunate in getting off with

  the loss of his shoes                  33

x1 In which Phileas Fogg buys a mount at a fabulous price    37

xn In which Phileas Fogg and his companions venture across

  the forests of India, and the events that ensue       44

Xlii In which Passepartout proves once more that fortune

  favours the boM                   49

XlV In which Phileas Fogg travels down the whole length of the

  beautiful Ganges without as much as thinking of seeing it  54

xv In which the bag containing the banknotes is again

  lightened by a few thousand pounds           59

xvl In which Fix appears to know nothing of what is said to him  64

  xvu Concerning a variety of things between Singapore

    and Hong-Kong                  68

 xvm In which Phileas Fogg, Passepartout and Fix attend to

    their business, each on his own account          73

xIx In which Passepartout takes too keen an interest in his

    master, and the consequence              76

xx In which Fix comes into contact with Phileas Fogg      81

xxI In which the master of the Tankadere runs great danger

    of losing a bonus of two hundred pounds         86

  xxu In which Passepartout sees that, even at the Antipodes,

    it is wise to have some money in one's pocket        92

 xxm In which Passepartout's nose assumes inordinate length    97

 xxiv The voyage across the Pacific Ocean           102

  xxv Which contains a cursory view of San Francisco on the

    day of a political meeting              106

 xxvx In which Phileas Fogg and his companions travel by the

    Pacific Express                   111

xxvn In which Passepartout attends, at a speed of twenty miles

    an hour, a course of Mormn history          115

xxvm In which Passepartout was unable to make anyone listen

        tO reason                                12o

 xxIx In which is given an account of various incidents which

    happen only on the railroads of the union         12 6

  xxx In which Phileas Fogg simply does his duty         131

 xxxl In which Detective Fix becomes a strong supporter of

    Phileas Fogg                    136

xxxn In which Phileas Fogg comes to grips with mischance    141

xxxm In which Phileas Fogg shows himself equal to the occasion   144

xxxIv Which gives Passepartout the opportunity of making an

   atrocious, but possibly new, pun            150

xxxv In which Passepartout does not need to be told twice what

   his master orders him to do              152

xxxvi In which Phileas Fogg is again at a premium on 'Change  156

xxxvn In which it is shown that Phileas Fogg gained nothing

   by travelling round the world, unless it were happiness   159

      FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON

 I The end of a much-applauded speech - Introduction of

  Dr Samuel Fergusson - 'Excelsior.p- Full-length portrait

  of the doctor - A convinced fatalist - Dinner at the

  Travellers' Club - A long toast list          I65

n An article from the Daily Telegraph-A campaign by

  learned journals                   170

IU The doctor's friend- Origin of their friendship - Dick

  Kennedy in London - An unexpected and not reassuring

  proposal - A not very consoling proverb - A few words

  about African martyrolog7 - Advantages of a balloon -

  Dr Fergnsson ' s secret                 172

IV African Exploration                  177

 v Kennedy's dreams- Pluralpersonalpronouns- Dick's

  insinuations - A trip over the map of Africa - The difference

  between the two points of a pair of compasses - Expeditions

  actually in progress - Speke and Grant - Krapf,

  yon Decken and yon Heuglin             xSo

vi An incredible manservant- He sees Jupiter's satellites-

  Dick and Joe at variance - Doubt and faith - Weighing in -

  Joe in the role of Wellington- Joe gets half-a-crown  184

wi Geometrical details- Estimate of the balloon's capacity -

  The double balloon - The envelope - The car - The

  mysterious apparatus - The stores - Total weight     I88

wu The importance ofJoe - The captain of the Resolute -

  Kennedy's arsenal - Allotment of space - The farewell dinner-

  Departure on 2 xst February - The doctor's scientific lectures -

  Duveyrier and Livingstone - Details of aerial travel-

  Kennedy reduced to silence              191

Ix Doubling the Cape - The forecastle - Lectures on

  cosmography by Professor Joe - On the steering of balloons-

  On the study of atmospheric currents - Eureka.t      195

 x Preliminary trials - The doctor's five containers - The gas  199

xI Arrival at Zanzibar - The British consul- Threatening

  attitude of the inhabitants - The island of Koumbeni -

  The rain-makers - Inflation of the balloon - Departure

  on the 8th April- Final farewells- The Victoria    202

 xn Crossing the straits - Mrima - Kennedy's remarks and a

   suggestion from Joe - A recipe for coffee - Usaramo -

   The unhappy Maizan - Mount Duthumi - The doctor's

   maps- A night over a nopal              206

xm Change in the weather- Kennedy attacked by fever- The

   doctor's med'ne - Travel by land- The Imenge basin - The

   Rubeho Mountains- Six thousand feet up - A halt by day 21 I

xIv The gum-tree forest- The blue antelope - The signal to return -

  An unexpected attack - Kanyemi - A night in the air -

   Mabungnru - Jihoue la Mkoa - Water-supplies-

  Arrival at Kazeh                 215

 xv Kazeh - The noisy market - The Victoria sighted -

   The wagangas - Sons of the Moon - The doctor's walk -

   Population- The royal tembe- The sultan's wives-

   Royal dissipation -Joe worshipped- How they dance in

   the Country of the Moon - Two moons in the sky     22 x

xvi Signs of a storm - The Country of the Moon - The future of

   the African continent - The machine that will bring about the

   end of the world - The landscape in the setting sun -

   The fire zone - A night of stars            228

XVII The Mountains of the Moon -An ocean of verdure     233

xvm The Karagwahs - Lake Ukereue - A night on an island-

   The Equator- Crossing the lake - The falls- View of the

  country - The sources of the Nile - Benga Island - Andrea

  Debono's signature - The British flag          239

xxx The Nile - Trembling Mountain - Memories of home - Arab

  stories- The Nyam Nyam-Joe's reflections- The VICTOSIA

  severely tested - Balloon ascents- Madame Blanchard   245

 xx The bottle out of the sky - Fig-palms- Mammoth trees -

  The tree of war- Winged horses - A battle between two tribes -

  A massacre- Divine intervention           249

xxI Strange noises - A night attack - Kennedy and Joe in a tree -

  Two shots - 'Help Help:' - An answer in French - The plan

  of rescue                      253

xxII The sheet of light- The missionary - He is picked up by the light

  from the balloon - A Lazarist priest - Little hope - Medical

  attention - A life of self-denial- Passing a volcano    258

xxm Joe angry - Death of a good man - The vigil by the body -

   The burial- The blocks of quartz -Joe's hallucination -

   Precious ballast - Discovery of the auriferous mountains -

   Beginning of yoe ' s despair              263

xxr The wind drops- The confines of the desert- Shortage of

   water- Equatorial nights- Fergusson's anxieties-

   The situation - Vehement replies from Kennedy and Joe -

   Another night                  268

 xxv Another balloon - Traces of a caravan - A well      273

xxvi x z3 degrees - The doctor's reflections - A desperate search -

   The burner goes out - I22 degrees - Scanning the desert -

   A walk through the night - Solitude - F;chaustion -Joe's

   plans - He allows himself one day more         277

xxwx Terrific heat- Hallucinations- The last drops of water-

   A night of despair- Attempted suicide - The simoon -

   The oasis - A lion and lioness             28 x

xxvin A delicious evening-Joe's cooking- Dissertation on raw meat-

   The story of James Bruce - The bivouac -Joe's dreams -

   The barometer drops - The barometer rises again -

   Preparations for departure - The hurricane       285

xxIx A French author's fantastic notion - Speke and Burton's

   exploration linked up with Barth's          289

 xxx MoCeia - The sheik - Denham, Clapperton and Oudney -

   Vogel- The capital of Loggum - Toole - Becalmed over

   Kernak - The governor and his court - The attack -

   Incendiary pigeons                  z93

xxxI They set off in the dark - Still three - Kennedy's instincts-

   Precautions- The course of the Shari- Lake Tchad-

   The water- The hippopotamus- A wasted bullet     298

xxxn The capital of Bornu - The Biddiomah Islands- Vultures-

   The doctor's anxiety - His precautions- An attack in

   mid-air-The envelope torn - The drop - Splendid

   devotion - The northern shore of the lake        3ox

xxxnI Conjectures - Re-establishing the equilibrium of the Victoria -

   Fergnsson's fresh calculations- Kennedy goes shooting-

   Complete exploration of Lake Tchad- Tangalia -

   The return - Lari                 305

XXXlV The hurricane - A forced departure - Loss of an anchor -

    Sad reflections - A decision - The sandstorm - The buried

    caravan - Contrary and favourable winds- Southward

    again - Kennedy at his post             3o9

 xxxv Joe's story - The island of the Biddiomahs - Worship -

    The engulfed island- The shores of the lake - Snakes in a tree -

    The Victoria passes- The Victoria disappears- Despair-

    The swamp - A last despairing cry           313

xxxvi A crowd on the horizon - A band of Arabs- The pursuit-

    ,It,s Joe'- The fall from a horse - The strangled Arab -

    A bullet from Kennedy - Working the trick - A rescue

    in full flight - Joe saved              319

xxxvii Westward-Joe's awakening- His obstinacy - The end of

    Joe's story- Tagelel- Kennedy's anxiety- Northward-

    A night near Agades                323

xxxwn Rapid travelling- Prudent resolutions- Caravans- Continual

    rain - Gao - The Niger- Golberry, Geoffrey and Gray -

    Mungo Park - Laing- Ren Cailli3- Clapperton -

    John and Richard Lander               327

xxxIx The country within the bend of the Niger-A fantastic view

    of the Hombori Kabra Mountains- Timbuktu -

    Dr Barth's plan                  332

xL Dr Fergusson's uneasiness- Still south - A cloud of locusts -

    View ofJenn3 - View of Sego - The wind changes -

   Joe's disappointment                335

XLI Nearing the Senegal- The Victoria dropping lower and

    lower - AI Hadji, the marabout - Joe's feat       338

  XLn A battle of generosity- The final sacrifice - The expanding

    apparatus -Joe's skill- Midnight - Kennedy's watch -

    He falls asleep - The fire - The shouting - Out of range  343

 xLIn The Talibas- The pursuit- A country laid waste - The wind

    moderates- The Victoria droops- The last provisions-

    The Victoria's bounds- Armed defence - The wind freshens -

    The Senegal River- The Guina Falls- Hot air-

    Crossing the river                  347

  XLN CONCLUSION

    The inquiry - The French stations- The Basilic -

   Saint Louis- The French frigate - The return to London  352

   NOTES To THE TEXT                355