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$9.99
1. In the Year 2889
2. Twenty Thousand Leagues under
3. Around the World in 80 Days
$9.99
4. The Moon-Voyage
$9.99
5. The Secret of the Island
$9.99
6. A Winter Amid the Ice - and Other
$9.99
7. Ticket No. "9672"
$9.99
8. The Adventures of a Special Correspondent
$6.98
9. The Blockade Runners (Dodo Press)
$14.13
10. A Voyage in a Balloon (1852)
$12.95
11. The Underground City, or, the
 
$27.77
12. Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
$9.99
13. The Voyages and Adventures of
$9.99
14. All Around the Moon
15. Michael Strogoff Or, The Courier
$9.99
16. Facing the Flag
$9.99
17. Celebrated Travels and Travellers
$27.69
18. Robur the Conqueror
$9.99
19. Celebrated Travels and Travellers
20. Dick Sand A Captain at Fifteen

1. In the Year 2889
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 24 Pages (2010-07-12)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003XVZZFS
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
In the Year 2889 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

5-0 out of 5 stars in the year 2889
I was very pleased both with the product and with how quickly it arrived. Thank You!

3-0 out of 5 stars OK
Very well written, but it appears to be missing something. After 5 minutes reading, I am 40 percent done.

3-0 out of 5 stars Progress dreamt of...
"Would not our contemporaries prize the telephone and the telephote more highly if they had not forgotten the telegraph?"First published in 1889, Michel Verne (Jules's son) imagines the world in 1000 years.In little more than 100, we've made lots of the progress he dreamed of...

3-0 out of 5 stars Call this a Book??
My feeling of this so called book is just that so called, it's maybe a long chapter of a unwritten book and on the first page of this so called book it say that it may have been written by Verne's son. Of what is written is good but some how missing that Jules touch of writing and feeling, it is a day in the life of business leader and it has a forerunner of the internet and newspaper on line a nice touch and a little scary that he was able to foretell of this type of techonolgy, I wounder if he left any notes as to this book or if this is all there is to it, I would hope not as it had the making of a very good book from a master story teller.

4-0 out of 5 stars Yesterday's tomorrow
The recent publication of the short story "In the Year 2889" (Wildside Press, 2006) is a welcome addition to the Jules Verne library.I read it first back in my early college days in the late sixties, and I have been hoping for a new edition of the text.
At 32 pages, it is a slim volume, but nonetheless significant.There is some question as to whether the story was actually penned by Jules Verne or might be, at least in part, the work of Verne's son Michel.The story is in keeping with Jules Verne's optimistic view of future possibilities.
While the cover art by Sophie Martin is quite striking, I would have preferred the volume be illustrated throughout.That would have greatly enhanced the pamphlete-size volume.
Much of the story presented, a day in the life of a citizen of the 20th century, sounds like an episode of "The Jetsons," with a man being clothed by a mechanical dresser as he is whisked off to work.
It is quick and light reading, to be sure, but oh! the memories it rekindles of a vision gone by, a vision of life almost 1000 years into the future.
Thank you, Monsieur Verne.Thank you, Wildside Press. ... Read more


2. Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea
by Jules Verne
Kindle Edition: Pages (2009-10-04)
list price: US$1.99
Asin: B002RKSZJO
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

4-0 out of 5 stars Gotta love the library of congress
Seriously, I may never read this, but I do love how easy it was to purchase and put on my iPad.

4-0 out of 5 stars Classic of science fiction, some minor flaws to a modern reader
This is Jules Verne's classic tale of undersea adventure, as best I can tell based on the 1873 translation by Lewis Mercier. Since that's been the standard English translation for over a hundred years, it's probably the one you remember reading way back when, and the edition you'll be familiar with.

Re-reading this as an adult, and an adult who's spent twenty-plus years since then reading science fiction, I did have to remind myself more than once how amazing the then-future technologies Verne describes, like electric rifles, undersea diving suits, electric motors, etc., would have been to his contemporary readers; the book was first published in 1869, a mere five years after the Confederate submarine Hunley became the first submarine to sink an enemy warship (and sank itself in the process).At times I found myself mentally substituting "outer space" for "under sea," just to help me analogize the situation. Despite that,the plot and action were as riveting now as they were when I first read it twenty years ago. I did find myself, now as then, skimming over much of Verne's extensive scientific descriptions of undersea flora and fauna, etc., but that might be my own failing as a reader -- when I did take the time to read Verne's descriptions, I did sometimes catch the same sense of aquatic wonder I remember from watching films like _The Life Aquatic_.

From what I've read, the Mercier translation this is based on contains a number of translation errors, cuts out about 20% of the text, etc. Corrected, completed, updated ebook editions of this classic are available on Amazon, but they cost money -- I've been unable to find an out-of-copyright, corrected, complete, and free edition. For readers on a budget, though, this is probably the version you remember, and if read in the right way -- keeping in mind the era in which it was written, and skimming whenever the science gets too dry or detailed for you -- it's still quite entertaining.

Verne did write a sequel, _The Mysterious Island_, also available in the kindle free store; the better translation is available here: The Mysterious Island.

4-0 out of 5 stars A bit riveting...
Most of the book was interesting although the spots classifying the sea life boring and I breezed through those pages to get to the more interesting areas.All in all, a good read and worth the time.Besides, you can't beat the price to read a classic!!

5-0 out of 5 stars Classic
This is a classic book written by an iconic writer over 100 years ago. They were a little wordy in those days. Well worth a read.

3-0 out of 5 stars Dry, but good Read
It is a good book, but overall, felt like half the time he was overly descriptive and made it DRY, got 70% done and tried to finish it, but had to come back to it...Felt as though the Prof does want to stay but the other part of him wants to leave, half the time is spend describing things, or fish, or coordinates, and history, it is a very descriptive book, but it does get very dry at times as you want to just move to the next page to stop reading the over drawn descriptions ... Read more


3. Around the World in 80 Days
by Jules Verne
Kindle Edition: Pages (2009-10-04)
list price: US$1.99
Asin: B002RKSZWQ
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

5-0 out of 5 stars Why haven't I read this earlier
This is one of those books I thought I had read, but never actually did. I knew generally the storyline. But what a seriously good book this is. I know it has been said before and is an all time classic. I wish I would have read it earlier.

Thank you Amazon for making this book available for free on Kindle.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great for those of us who want to travel!
A few weeks ago I had to read this book for school. I thought "Oh its going to be another boring one..." But once I started reading, I immediatly got sucked in!
I really enjoyed how Mr. Jules described the world in the 1800's. Very descriptive, streight to the point, and fun!
I went on reading.
Haha! made me want to be more like Mr. Fogg. The Punctual man he is. (The main character in the book)(And if you want to find out why I said that you are just going to have to read the book!) :P
This is a great read for those people who like to read short but good stories. Also for those of us who want to travel the world but just cant. Also for those of us who are just recovering from reading a sad story like "Uncle Tom's Cabin..." Really cheers you up.
But Great book! Glad I read it!
Next book for me, 20,000 leagues under the sea! Another book by Mr. Jules Verne. I am very excited!
See you all in the next review! Hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading.

3-0 out of 5 stars Fun but not Literature
This was a pretty entertaining read, but nothing about it indicates good writing. I'm a little surprised that it made it into the annals of literature. However, it is fun and a quick read.

4-0 out of 5 stars somewhat interesting
The novel is not what I would say was "exciting," but it is surely entertaining. Palin deals with a number of strange and unsettling people, cultures and situations during his 80-day tour; all with humor, if not exactly understanding. It was just plain enjoyable to follow him around.

4-0 out of 5 stars A quick classic
An exciting and suspenseful tale, which engages the reader even today. I read almost the whole thing in one day! ... Read more


4. The Moon-Voyage
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 268 Pages (2010-07-12)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003YH9EOO
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The Moon-Voyage is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more


5. The Secret of the Island
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 138 Pages (2010-07-12)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003VTYYWC
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
The Secret of the Island is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Jules Verne
The Secret of the Island by Jules Verne, translated by William Henry Giles Kingston. Complete Illustrated novel. Published by MobileReference (mobi).

A wonderful book for reading during a cold long winter weekend. The Secret of the Island unquestionably deserves a place on your reading list.
... Read more


6. A Winter Amid the Ice - and Other Thrilling Stories
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 188 Pages (2010-07-06)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003YMN2CO
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
A Winter Amid the Ice - and Other Thrilling Stories is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

4-0 out of 5 stars Short stories about cold places
This is a series of short stories. The first one is like a fairy tale. The next two are strange. The fourth is a "stranded in the arctic" tale. I really liked this one. The fifth one is a mountain climbing story. I like this one, also.

Because of the foreign names and words, there are a number of "?" question marks taking the place of letters that should have an accent, a tilde, or oomlout. (<- I know what this is, I just can't spell it and it isn't in any of my dictionaries). I've gotten used to that in other books, so I just ignore it. This was supposed to be an illustrated book, but all you get are the captions. ... Read more


7. Ticket No. "9672"
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 124 Pages (2010-07-12)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003YKGFN4
Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Ticket No. "9672" is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

2-0 out of 5 stars ONLYIFTRAPPEDINAN ELEVATOR
If this is the only thing you have to read, and you are stuck on a plane or in an elevator; then go ahead.Otherwise, skip it.Another FREE book that really isn't worth your time. ... Read more


8. The Adventures of a Special Correspondent
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 176 Pages (2010-07-06)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003YJF64O
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The Adventures of a Special Correspondent is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

3-0 out of 5 stars 1/4 Adventure 3/4 Historical Geographical Tour
***Spoilers Galore***

Jules Verne is a great author. He can write very well, and his characters are fairly unique. His humour, however, is very droll, and this particular book tries to utilize this humour in a showcase manner. In my case, that is why this book is a failure, because the subtle humor does little to pass the time while waiting for the "adventure" to begin.

The book begins with our special correspondant beginning a trip on the transcaucasian/transasiatic railway traveling from Turkey to Pekin (Peking nowdays). Along the way, the correspondant takes notes as to the passengers and stops at each town visiting the historical sites and commenting on the peoples. His notations are very elaborate, and really, I felt like I was having a geography lesson for most of the book. The book has certainly educated me better as to the history of the Uzbeks and the Turjeks, and told me a little bit about the natural flora in the Gobi desert, and taught me a lot about the Caspian Sea. A few slightly cute things take place along the way to break up the monotony somewhat.

Then, for a change of pace, almost exactly 3/4 through the book, a more adventurous plot twist occurs, after having met all the characters on board, and the story continues. This doesn't sound like too bad a premise, and I guess it wasn't, really. The book is pleasantly written, and pacing seems okay. I just found most (not all thank goodness) of the characters which were somewhat unique to be rather boring, and the adventure was condensed and uninspired.

Jules doesn't forget to give a shout out for 'Around the World in 80 days' with a character trying to get around the world in 39 days (a more realistic accomplishment at the time of the writing). I really felt like this book felt like the screenplay for some early color movie because the humor and the plot seemed to fit really well with that time period. I don't mean this as a compliment.

I really think that this book ought to be required reading for the historical insight into the railway, but as to the story, I found it only mildly amusing. This is not the kind of book I find entertaining in terms of works of fiction, and for such a purpose, this book is entirely skippable.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great story, great edition!
I love train stories - if you do too, this one will blow you away!

Funny thing about great foreign writers, Verne was French, but most of us grew up thinking of him as American, (sadly I admit I did). It's easy to, watching the old movies on TV, or new movies, all in English with US actors. And of course all the wonderful books we grew up with were in English. I hope that is considered a compliment as to his power and success, as he was just as enormously popular in France, and is the founding father of science fiction with perhaps with H.G. Wells. Verne's stories, written for all ages, caught the enterprising spirit of the 19th century and its uncritical fascination about scientific progress and inventions. Perhaps some today are not so uncritical of science, but those who still have adventure in their soul, who long for the stars and the space program, will love all of Verne's works.

This is one of his less known works, but WELL worth reading!
Enjoy!

5-0 out of 5 stars This is one of the most amazing books ever written!
This is one of the most amazing books ever written!For me, this is Verne at his best, using his fantastic imagination, but by confiding it to real life, and not science fiction, he could be unpredictable.

This is a story of a reporter on a train trip from Russia to China, where anything is possible, where not one is who they seem, and world changing events could take place (no spoiler coming).This is just one of those great train stories.I just loved it!

Verne did another unique train/journey stories, set on the Amazon, called:

Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon

And I can recommend both!Fantastic books!

5-0 out of 5 stars This is a must read - needs a more exciting title!
Verns books always have great titles, except this one - and this is one of his best, but least known, sadly.This book deserves to be read, is a darn good story.

Often labeled the "father of science fiction," Jules Verne was less concerned with the gadgets of science than with its effect of people. His fantasies explored the possibilities in a way that excited the imaginations of generations of readers and paved the way for the host of writers that followed in his footsteps.This is a magnificent book. In my opinion, one of Verne's three major books - but hardly known, I only found this by chance. You will read this book late into the night, it's that good.

Its all set on a long railway journey, across Asia, with a very strange villain, some weird and strange passages, and lots of set of your pants adventure.If you want to read a real classic filled with wild escapade, comedy, and drama this is the book to get!

1-0 out of 5 stars Good story, bad edition
The story is classic Jules Verne and recommended for all fans. The Dodo Press edition is incorrectly printed. Book II is identical to Book I so the book is twice as long as should be (Book I is the complete story). The Dodo Press edition is a waste of paper and shelf space. ... Read more


9. The Blockade Runners (Dodo Press)
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 68 Pages (2005-10-25)
list price: US$12.99 -- used & new: US$6.98
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1406501794
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Large Format for easy reading. Story set in the dockyards of Glasgow from the French pioneer of Science Fiction ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

4-0 out of 5 stars Short Story
Not very long, probably took me 45 minutes to read it. It was fun, but there is very little character development. It has a nice historical aspect to it, which made it interesting. It doesn't really classify as SF anymore, since boats that go 17 mph are no great deal today.

4-0 out of 5 stars Good afternoon book!
A good quick read about a part of the Civil War I was only barely familiar with.Makes me want to read the history this fictional story was based on. ... Read more


10. A Voyage in a Balloon (1852)
by Jules Gabriƫl Verne
Paperback: 20 Pages (2010-07-24)
list price: US$14.14 -- used & new: US$14.13
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1770456716
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. ... Read more


11. The Underground City, or, the Child of the Cavern
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 112 Pages (2006-11-03)
list price: US$12.95 -- used & new: US$12.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1406946230
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

4-0 out of 5 stars Interesting Verne Story.
I love Jules Verne and he was way ahead of his time.This is a look at the coal mining industry and is a very interesting story.It was converted to the kindle edition and seems to be a very good conversion.I only noticed a few mistakes in the writing.

The characters are interesting. I really liked it overall and you have to remember it was written in 1887.It tells the story of a mine that is closed when the coal runs out. the story takes place 10 years after the coal runs out when the old mine engineer James Starr receives a letter to return to the mine that was thought to have gone dry.He finds the Ford family who has remained living in the mine and hasnt given up hope that it still contained coal.What mysteries remain hidden in the mine and who tries to stop them from finding the hidden things.Inrtiguing story. ... Read more


12. Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
by Jules Verne
 Hardcover: 168 Pages (2010-09-10)
list price: US$29.56 -- used & new: US$27.77
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1169722172
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

5-0 out of 5 stars A great mystery!
This is one of his less known works, but WELL worth reading!Its a darn good book, the Amazon descriptions are amazing, but there is a great mystery too boot!

Funny thing about great foreign writers, Verne was French, but most of us grew up thinking of him as American, (sadly I admit I did). It's easy to, watching the old movies on TV, or new movies, all in English with US actors. And of course all the wonderful books we grew up with were in English. I hope that is considered a compliment as to his power and success, as he was just as enormously popular in France, and is the founding father of science fiction with perhaps with H.G. Wells. Verne's stories, written for all ages, caught the enterprising spirit of the 19th century and its uncritical fascination about scientific progress and inventions. Perhaps some today are not so uncritical of science, but those who still have adventure in their soul, who long for the stars and the space program, will love all of Verne's works.

Enjoy!

5-0 out of 5 stars An unknown masterpiece!
I know that most of us have read or heard of Captain Nemo, and 80 Days, etc, but this is a different book of Vernes and one I really enjoyed.It has all the elements of a good yarn, travel in dangerous places, the Amazon river, trains, boats, villains, and great characters.

If you like Verne, and have not read this, you will love it!

5-0 out of 5 stars A fantastic read!
Now that I have read the other reviews, I don't know what to add, except to say this is a book typically missed by the more well known Verne books, which is sad, because even though its not science fiction, its a really, really great adventure with many twists and a very intriguing villain.Verne could really write, and he stands the test of time, if you are thinking adventure, forget this was written 100 years ago, its really worth your money, and you'll have read a book few people have, and you will be much better for it!

5-0 out of 5 stars Much more then I expected!
I have read most of Verne's science fiction, and loved each of them - so I picked this up wondering if I'd like it.....WOW, what a great summer adventure read!The story takes you back to a time when not every place on the planet has been explored, so this trip on the Amazon is interesting in and of itself, but the added intrigue, deep dark secrets, thrilling side plots make this book so good, that any Verne lover will want to read it.I loved this new edition too.

Great book for the summer - or anytime!

5-0 out of 5 stars An exciting adventure
Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon by Jules Verne. Published by MobileReference (mobi).

This is an excellent book with enough adventure to keep you reading all night long! ... Read more


13. The Voyages and Adventures of Captain Hatteras
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 352 Pages (2010-07-06)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003YORRXM
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Editorial Review

Product Description
This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages. Chain of Command is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Stephen Arr is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Stephen Arr then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more


14. All Around the Moon
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 216 Pages (2010-07-12)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003XVZM4M
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
All Around the Moon is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more


15. Michael Strogoff Or, The Courier of the Czar
by Jules Verne
Kindle Edition: Pages (2009-10-04)
list price: US$1.99
Asin: B002RKSSKK
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Editorial Review

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more


16. Facing the Flag
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 136 Pages (2010-07-06)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003YH9P02
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
Facing the Flag is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

4-0 out of 5 stars Mad Scientistruns amok!!!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia- FACING THE FLAG-

Thomas Roch is a genius French inventor, who came up with the idea of the Fulgurator, a weapon "whose action upon the atmospheric strata was so terrific that any construction, warship or floating battery, within a zone of twelve thousand square yards, would be blown to atoms", so that "the state which acquired it would become absolute master of earth and ocean".

For all of the above, however, there is nothing to show but Roch's own word, backed by no experimental proof whatever, and he demands to have huge sums delivered to him before making any details known and certainly before any tests were made of the weapon's feasibility. While Roch is not an unknown, having had some earlier inventions to his credit, no official could justify spending such sums to buy a pig in a poke.

Upon the failure of his negotiations with his own government, Roch "forgets what could never be forgotten" - i.e., France's defeat in Franco-German War of 1870-71 and the loss of Alsace-Lorraine, a wound still deeply nursed by many French in their mindset of Revanchism - and crosses the border to offer his weapon at Berlin. But he meets no greater success there then in Paris, nor are the British and Americans which he later tries any more amendable.

In the process, Roch increasingly loses his sanity, becoming - as depicted by Verne - more and more bitter, magalomanic and paranoid - until the US Government finally tucks him away at a luxurious asylum in New Bern, North Carolina, where he had spent eighteen months at the start of the book and looks likely to spend the rest of his life.

When first introduced to the reader, Roch seems endlessly greedy, asserting that millions would be "a paltry sum" for his invention which was worth "billions". But as becomes clear later, Roch is less after money as such than in search of respect and recognition. The four sets of government officials and military officers which he successively met evidently rubbed Roch the wrong way, their repeated demands of concrete proof making him feel that they were trying to steal his invention, while the pirate Ker Karraje - the story's main villain - would soon prove able to cater to Roch's vanity - and his desire for revenge upon those who humiliated him.

Ker Karraje is a pirate of Malay origin who started his career closer to his homeland, in the islands of the Western Pacific - with a band which he had collected during a sojourn at one of the Australian gold rushes (where, evidently, he failed to strike gold, and turned to other means of getting rich). His heterogeneous crew of audacious rogues, drawn from "escaped convicts, military and naval deserters, and the scum of Europe", includes Malays like himself, Arabs and "Levantines", Europeans of various nationalities (An Irishman, an Italian and a Greek are explicitly mentioned), and even some Australian Aborigines.

Captain Spade and Engineer Serko, Karraje's two principal lieutenants, are described as "intelligent, well educated, resolute men who would most assuredly have succeeded in any career" but "being without conscience or scruples, and determined to get rich at all costs" they turned first to gambling and speculation and finally to outright piracy under Karraje.

After a wild career of robbery and mayhem around the Pacific Islands which made his name known and feared around the world, Karraje suddenly disappeared. Nobody knew that he did not change profession, but rather moved his operations to richer hunting grounds around the east coast of North America. There Karraje and crew live a double life. Karraje goes around openly, under the alias of "Count d'Artigas" - pleasure loving, slightly eccentric but eminently respectable, a regular visitor to the ports of the East Coast onboard his schooner "Ebba" which he had ordered, in a completely legal and aboveboard way, from a shipyard in Gothenburg, Sweden.

To outward appearance, "Ebba" has no other means of propulsion than its sails - but in fact it is pulled by an underwater tug. By these means, Karraje and his crew can pull up to unsuspecting becalmed sailing ships, board and rob their cargoes, massacre the crews and scuttle them, adding to the statistics of "unexplained disappearances". (In Verne's time the term Bermuda Triangle did not yet have a wide popular currency, but the geographical location of Karraje's operations seems quite appropriate to this myth).

Karraje is cunning, suave and completely ruthless. He uses the most advanced technologies available at the end of Nineteenth Century, such as the aforementioned submarine, to aid his career of robbery on the high seas. His heterogeneous crew works smoothly and efficiently, in both their ostensible honest seamanship and their clandestine deadly piracy - which immediately recalls the crew of the "Nautilus" under Captain Nemo.

However, unlike Nemo, Karraje is a pure villain, motivated by nothing but greed, to satisfy which he is willing to kill ruthlessly and indiscriminatingly - with none of the redeeming qualities and complex ambiguities which made Capain Nemo, in the view of many, the most intriguing of Verne's characters.

Also, in the decades between the publication of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in 1870 and that of the present book, the idea of a submarine in itself has evidently stopped being so fantastic as to deserve attention. Rather, the presence of submarines - in the hands of both the pirates and the Royal Navy - is taken for granted as a useful narration plot, while Roch and his fearsome super-weapon are given the center stage.

Karraje hears of Roch and his invention, takes it seriously and decides to gain possession of it. Actually, his aim is rather modest, not to gain world mastery, but just to make his hide-out impregnable. He and his men successfully kidnap Roch from his American asylum and bring him to their hide-out, the desolate island of Back Cup in the Bahamas. Here a wide cavern, accessible solely by submarine, has been made into a well-equipped pirate base, with its own electrical power plant, completely unknown to the rest of the world.

During the kidnapping, however, Karraje orders his men to also take along Gaydon, Roch's attendant "to whom he was used for the past fifteen months". The reader knows - and as is later shown, Karraje is also aware - that Gaydon was actually Simon Hart, a French engineer and explosives expert who had decided "to perform the menial and exacting duties of an insane man's attendant" in the hope of learning Roch's secret and saving it for France, actuated (as Verne puts it) by "a spirit of the purest and noblest patriotism".

Hart bears considerable resemblance to Marcel Bruckmann, the protagonist in "The Begum's Millions", who penetrates the fearsome stronghold of that book's arch-villain. Both characters are engineers by training, and boundlessly dedicated, resourceful and brave French patriots by inclination. Both act as self-appointed spies belonging to no official agency, but showing considerable skill and ingenuity in that role. (Except for the completely unreasonable risk of regularly keeping a written diary while in the enemy stronghold and putting down in writing all their secrets and plans - a risk which Verne evidently imposed on both protagonists in the interest of providing the reader with a first-person narrative.) Bruckmann is in his mid-twenties, Hart in his mid-forties - which is precisely the amount by which Bruckmann would had aged in the time elapsed between the writing of the two books.

Hart is kept imprisoned at the pirate base, though in quite comfortable conditions. He can only watch in dismay as the pirate chief easily manages what four governments in succession have failed to do: win Roch over. Roch is given "many rolls of dollar bills and banknotes, and handfuls of English, French, American and German gold coins" with which to fill his pockets. Further, Roch is formally informed that the entire secret cavern and all in it are henceforward his property, and egged on to "defend his property" against the world which has so wronged him.

Soon, the inventor is busy constructing his fearsome weapon, happily unaware that he is nothing but a glorified prisoner in the pirate's hands. Chemical ingredients are purchased at his specifications and paid for quite openly at US stores, as are mechanical parts ordered from American foundries completely unaware of their true purpose, and so construction of the Fulgurator moves ahead.

As is proven by practice, a few grams of Roch's explosive suffice to blow a passable tunnel through many metres of tough volcanic rock. Engineer Serko remarks in talking with Hart that several thousands tons might be enough to blow up the entire Earth and render it into a new Asteroid Belt - which seems to be the first time that such a suggestion was made in Science Fiction (see Asteroids in fiction) - though no one in the book wants to put that to the test. But Karraje does ring his island with artillery pieces of a kind, which need not be very accurate - since the projectile powered by that enormous explosive, would generate such shock-waves as to destroy everything in an enormous radius around its path. There is no need to hit the enemy ship in order to destroy it.

The paranoid Roch does, however, keep to himself the secret of the detonator or "Deflagrator", a liquid without which the explosive is merely an inert powder. By holding fast to that last secret, Roch unwittingly preserves the life of his ex-keeper Gaydon/Simon Hart. Karraje suspects (wrongly) that Hart knows much more of Roch's secrets than he is willing to let on. It serves the purposes of the pirate chief, a completely ruthless killer, to let Hart live. The pirate engineer Serko, Hart's "colleague", hopes to win him over in prolonged friendly conversations. Hart's reticence is merely interpreted as proving that he has something to hide.

The pirates underestimate Hart, giving him a practically free run of their hide-out, since the only way out is via submarine. But after carefully studying the currents, Hart succeeds in secretly sending out a message in a metal keg, giving the full details of Karraje's operations and his impeding acquisition of the Fulgurator.

The message does get to the British authorities at the nearby Bahama, who promptly act on it. A British submarine - HMS Sword - secretly arrives at the pirate cavern. Its men make contact with Hart, and take him and Roch on board - but the Sword is discovered, attacked and sunk by the pirate submarine in the kind of direct underwater submarine vs. submarine battle which was to prove very rare in the actual annals of submarine warfare.

The unconscious Hart and Roch are extracted from the sunk British sub by pirate divers, while the entire British crew headed by the heroic Lieutenant Devon perish. Hart rather implausibly manages to convince the pirates that he had been kidnapped by the British sailors and had nothing to do with their "visit", and resumes his role as a tolerated prisoner with a free run of the pirate base.

Meanwhile, Roch's weapon is completed and becomes operational - just in time for the book's climax: the arrival off the island of an international naval task force, consisting of five warships dispatched by the world's main five powers. Of these powers, three are certainly France, which is mentioned explicitly; Britain, which is the world's main naval power and in whose territory the secret pirate base is located; and the US, which is directly effected by Karraje's piracy. Germany, Italy and Russia might all be among the contributors of the other two ships. Presumably, the five powers were both cooperating against the common pirate threat and trying to keep an eye on each other and prevent any of their number from getting sole possession of the Fulgurator.

The weapon - operated personally by Roch himself, who has not given away the secret of the Deflagrator - works fully as advertised. Roch has no compunction in using it on British or American ships, and the first cruiser to approach the island is easily destroyed with only a handful of its crew surviving. Undaunted, the next ship approaches the shore, and the moment comes towards which the entire book was leading and from which its title was drawn:

"(...) The inventor has raised the phial [containing the Deflagrator]. The bugles sound louder and more strident. It is the salute to the flag. A flag unfurls to the breeze - the Tricolour, whose blue, white and red sections stand out luminously against the sky .Ah! What is this? Thomas Roch is fascinated at the sight of his national emblem. Slowly he lowers his arm as the flag flutters up to the mast-head. Then he draws back and covers his eyes with his hand. Heavens above! All sentiment of patriotism is not then dead in his ulcerated heart, seeing that it beats at the sight of his country's flag!"

Having at the moment of truth rediscovered his patriotism, Roch refuses to fire on his country's ship, struggles with the pirates who try to seize his phial and the Deflagrator, and finally blows up himself, his weapon, the pirates and the entire island. The single survivor of the cataclysm is Simon Hart, whose unconscious body with the diary at his side is found by the landing French sailors.

Hart is eventually revived, to be amply rewarded for his dedication to his country and bear witness to Thomas Roch's last-minute change of heart and self-sacrifice. French patriotism is the moral and material victor.

"(...) In the terrible explosion which destroyed the island of Back Cup, Ker Karraje and his pirates have disappeared - and with them Thomas Roch and the secret of his invention" is how Verne ends his book. However, knowledge of Twentieth Century history and how it was effected by the discovery of Weapons of Mass Destruction could lead to doubt if that would be quite the end.

Under the conditions described, an accelerated arms race would have been virtually certain to break out between the various late 19th Century powers, each seeking to rediscover Roch's weapon for itself. Britain would presumably assert its sovereignty over Backcup to thoroughly comb the ruins for possible clues; The French would grill Hart for anything he might have picked up and search for any papers Roch may have left behind; the Americans would locate Karraje's suppliers and thoroughly examine their records; and as for the other powers, knowing that such a weapon is possible would be enough of a clue to try their utmost to duplicate it. One may well speculate that in the universe of Verne's book, the First World War would break out much sooner than 1914 and might be far more destructive.

... Read more


17. Celebrated Travels and Travellers - Part 2. The Great Navigators of the Eighteenth Century
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 332 Pages (2010-07-06)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003YMMXLU
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Product Description
Celebrated Travels and Travellers - Part 2. The Great Navigators of the Eighteenth Century is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more


18. Robur the Conqueror
by Jules Verne
Hardcover: 132 Pages (2007-02-08)
list price: US$29.95 -- used & new: US$27.69
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1557429677
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars
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They laughed at his ideas of heavier-than-air flying machines. But he had the last laugh with the Albatross -- the most incredible flying machine ever built. Lord of the skies, Robur became the would-be conqueror of the world!

A fascinating companion to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Robur the Conqueror explores many of the same themes. The Wildside Press edition contains a newly revised version of the first English-language translation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

3-0 out of 5 stars TITLE MISLEADING
ROBUR THE CONQUEROR/MASTER OF THE WORLD FREDONIA 2002.
THIS IS VERNE'S ATTEMPT TO DO WITH AIR TRAVEL WHAT HE HAD ALREADY DONE WITH SEA TRAVEL IN 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. NOT VERNE'S BEST BUT STILL INTERESTING.

MY ONLY WARNING IS THAT THE TITLE OF THIS VERSION IS MISLEADING.VERNE DID INDEED WRITE 2 STORIES ABOUT ROBUR BUT BOTH ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS ISSUE OF THE BOOK . MASTER OF THE WORLD IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK DESPITE ITS INCLUSION IN THE TITLE. THE BOOK INDICATES THAT IT IS A FACSIMILE OF THE 1887 EDITION OF ROBUR THE CONQUEROR.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO READERS IF THE TRANSLATOR HAD BEEN INDICATED.APPARENTLY ACCORDING TO THE JULES VERNE SOCIETY MANY OF VERNE'S BOOKS HAVE BEEN ISSUED IN POORLY TRANSLATED OR INCOMPLETE EDITIONS SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHO IS GIVING YOU VERNE'S WORK.NEW EDITIONS OF BOOKS BY VERNE ARE APPEARING THAT HAVE MORE COMPLETE AND ACCURATE TRANSLATIONS OF THE TEXT.THIS WAS NOT ALWAYSTRUE IN THE EARLIER EDITIONS OF VERNE'S WORKS. PARTS OF THOSE BOOKS WERE CUT OR REWRITTEN BY THE TRANSLATOR. EVEN THE NAMES OF VERNE
CHARACTERS WERE CHANGED.

FOR MORE INFO ON TRANSLATING VERNE AND WHAT THAT MEANS TO THE READER VISIT THE WEB SITE OF THE JULES VERNE SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA. THEY SHOW EXAMPLES OF OLD POOR TRANSLATION AND POINT OUT NEW MORE ACCURATE AND COMPLETE EDITIONS OF VERNE.

5-0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable
I give this book a perfect score simply because I find it highly enjoyable. Make no mistake, though, the plot is basically the same as "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" only this time set in the sky. Also, there is a racist depiction of an African-American servant who is very cowardly.

This novel is just one of Verne's many science fiction stories that ended up becoming (more or less) science fact. An amusing story at the start and end of the book concerns aeronaut enthusiasts who believe balloon travel is the way of the future. Robur (stating Verne's own beliefs that heavy machines being able to fly was possible and would be far superior) proves them wrong and becomes "conqueror of the skies." Others may have different opinions, but I found the book inspirational in that Robur's great willpower enable him to do the impossible (break free from gravity's hold) and become master of himself, not held down by anyone or anything.

1-0 out of 5 stars Along for the ride but, not part of the story
Verne's Robur the Conquerorand Master of the World begins with almost Swift-ian satire as the reader is introduced to the members of the Philadelphia Institute, a scientific society in the process of launching a motorized balloon. It devolves into a meandering, and poor travelogue as the two principle members of the institute, Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans, are abducted by the mysterious Robur. Robur has crafted a heavier than air machine and despite seeing it operate while onboard the two prisoners stubbornly cling to their idea that only lighter than air ships are the wave of the future.

In trying to create another enigmatic character similar to Captain Nemo Verne leaves out ANY characterizationor background on Robur. The man is completely one dimensional and therefore uninteresting and unsympathetic. The rest of the story is an around the world tour on Robur's ship the Albatross, part helicopter with multiple ascender propellers. Verne describes places from the prairies of America to the cities of China and India, but all literally from a distance as the ship never touches down at any point so no characters can interact or form any semblance ofa story.

Continued in the Master of the World Vern introduces Strock the American Police officer who is sent to investigate mysteries in Georgia and later to chase equally mysterious road, water and submersible technological terrors across the United States. It is not hard to guess the operator of these machines is Robur again. Just as cardboard and just as devoid of motive for doing the things he does. The character of Strock is once again along for the ride in Robur's craft; always as narrator, never as participant. Dry and plodding with only the fact of Verne's uncanny forecast of technology to supply any interesting points.

3-0 out of 5 stars Inferior to 20,000 Leagues
When bright lights and strange aerial phenomenon begin to be seen around the world, everyone is perplexed as to what such a thing could be. But, when the president and secretary of the Weldon Institute (a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA balloon enthusiast society) are kidnapped by a seemingly mad engineer, Robur, they quickly find that he and his fantastic airship are responsible for the strange phenomenon. Robur has mastered heavier-than-air travel, with his giant electric-powered helicopter, and he is out to rebuild the world in his image. Can his poor prisoners escape from the clutches of Robur, and how will they stop his plans?

This book was first published in 1886 by that early master of science fiction, Jules Verne (1828-1904). In many ways it is reminiscent of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but set in the air. For it's time, it was quite forward thinking in its science, and it has a very interesting story. However, it does drag at times, and overall the author does not succeed in generating any real drama therein.

Also, there is another reason why this book will never be considered one of Monsieur Verne's great works, and this is the character Frycollin, the only African-American character in the story. He is presented as an unvarnished Stepin Fetchit-type character, complete with calling his employer "Master", even though he had never known slavery. Indeed, at one point, Mr. Verne mentions Frycollin crying, "Like a child, like the Negro he was..." Yes, I do know that you cannot demand modern thinking out of people of the past, but Verne does go far too far with this character, Frycollin is definitely the poison pill of this story.

So, let me just say that I found this to be an OK book, decidedly inferior to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and with the poison pill of racism included. Overall, I do not recommend this book. ... Read more


19. Celebrated Travels and Travellers - Part III. The Great Explorers of the Nineteenth Century
by Jules Verne
Paperback: 296 Pages (2010-07-06)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003YOTKO6
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
Celebrated Travels and Travellers - Part III. The Great Explorers of the Nineteenth Century is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more


20. Dick Sand A Captain at Fifteen
by Jules Verne
Kindle Edition: Pages (2009-10-04)
list price: US$1.99
Asin: B002RKRAB8
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Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more


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