Written more than a century before man landed on the moon, this classic adventure tale has proved to be one of Jules Verne’s most prophetic. It is also a forerunner of today’s science fiction.
At the close of the Civil War, the members of the elite Baltimore Gun Club find themselves unemployed and bored. Finally, their president, Impey Barbicane, proposes a new project: build a gun big enough to launch a rocket to the moon. But when a daring volunteer elevates the mission to a “manned” flight, one man’s dream turns into an international space race.
This is a story of rollicking action, humor, and vibrant imagination, full of both satire and scientific insight.
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"(audio version) the gay romp through a post civil war gunshot to the moon. I wonder how much Verne knew was absolutely ludicrous. It was fun for conjecture, but in our modern day with modern science it was harder to bear. I loved chapter 11 and the argument of Texas vs Florida. "
— Rebekah (4 out of 5 stars)
“This marvellous and most entertaining book is one which ought to meet with a great many readers. The grave manner in which the adventures are narrated, the wondrous mathematical calculations, the solid air of truth mixed up with the quiet humor and racy fun, are inimitable.”
— Vanity Fair" For all those people looking for steampunk novels, could I recommended going back to the inspiration. Verne and HG Wells both stand up well to today's writers. "
— Zero, 2/20/2014" Two stars only: One for the great author (He has far greater books as we all know) and one for the character, Michel Ardan. There were so many numbers, loads of calculations. I like sci-fi but this was like pure maths and physics. "
— Pinar, 2/19/2014" Outstanding! I'm just shocked with the imagination of Verne! "
— Enrique, 2/4/2014" I don't understand why old science fiction authors are fixated by realism and scientific accuracy, specifically on mathematical calculations and details. It makes for a boring read. "
— Rob, 1/27/2014" Very old fashioned, but entertaining, especially the lengths Verne went to to make it seem scientifically feasible "
— Greg, 1/19/2014" This masterpiece of science fiction is here given an exhaustive (bordering on the exhausting) annotation, with really scholarly information and a most useful evaluation of the available translations. Lavishing illustrated with period engravings. "
— Frank, 1/16/2014" An awesome prediction of the future of space travel for a book written shortly after the Civil War. "
— Daniel, 1/12/2014" Great fun! It amazes me that someone so far in the past could write stories that would have many similarities to our present - his future. Interesting. "
— Jamie, 1/12/2014" A quick, pleasing read. Not much in the way of character development (not the first sci-fi book guilty of this) but still fun. I particularly enjoyed chapters five and six, which are mostly about the physical nature of the Moon but have a great style to them. "
— Jeff, 1/11/2014" It's a physics class in narrative form. And it didn't help that the reader of the audiobook sounds like a physics teacher. Ugh. "
— Michael, 1/9/2014" This was an OK story and it is ironic what people of the time thought of outer space. Some of the things that they did (like opening their metal container while in space and surviving and being fired out of a cannon with enough force to travel to space) made it hard to suspend disbelief. "
— Benjamin, 11/30/2013Jules Verne (1828–1905) is considered by many the father of science fiction. Born in Nantes, France, he studied law but turned to writing opera libretti until the 1863 publication of Five Weeks in a Balloon, the first of his Extraordinary Voyages series. Its success encouraged him to produce a number of classic and prophetic science fiction novels, including Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. His stories foresaw many scientific and technological developments, including the submarine, television, and space travel.
Bernard Mayes is a teacher, administrator, corporate executive, broadcaster, actor, dramatist, and former international commentator on US culture. He is best known for his readings of historical classics.