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)
"(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. "
“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.”
" 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. "
" 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. "
" Outstanding! I'm just shocked with the imagination of Verne! "
" 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. "
" Very old fashioned, but entertaining, especially the lengths Verne went to to make it seem scientifically feasible "
" 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. "
" An awesome prediction of the future of space travel for a book written shortly after the Civil War. "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" I know it is science fiction, but it is hard to grasp how a society would think this could actually work. A lot of "aw, come on!" moments. "
" beautifully written, as expected from Verne... "
" A quick read and very interesting. I highly reccomend it. "
" It happen in 1969 the first fligt to the moon, and it had a lot in coomon with the flight as imagined 100 years or so begore by the author, even departing from Florida as he conceived it. "
" This book is about a space team going to the moon.When they got to the moon they started testing everywere.After a while they got some signs of life. "
" Pretty cool book. 1865! The oldest book I Have ever read, except the bible of course. Verne systematically plans a trip to the moon. The characters are funny. "
" It is a somewhat interesting novel about two Americans and a Frenchmen who are shot to the moon in a really big conical bullet. It only took about 90 years later for the Russians and Americans to do what Verne prophesied. "
" I read this book at the beginning of high school or the end of junior high. At the time I thought it was pretty good, the connection with the American Civil War being a plus for me at the time. "
" For me ,as a teenege girl,the novel was boring!It was just beating around the scientific images of Traveling to moon! "
" A awesome book to finish in one go. Love the pokes at everyone and the depiction of Americans as not knowing the definition of impossible or caring to have it explained to them. Especially by men of science. "
" Highly decent. More a fictitious scientific account than a work of what we call modern science fiction, a great read that lights up the imagination. "
" Read it a long time ago. Meaning to re-read it. "
" I might not give this a full five stars, simply because it might seem boring at points, but it gains points simply for being a classic. Anyway, it was inspiring to me, greatly influencing my book TIME PULLERS. "
" Wonderful story of adventure and mystery. A good read for those fond of adventure and fantasy. Look forward to watching the 2008 movie by the same title. "
" read for my theater group when we were creating a play...i liked it so more i dont remember the plot very well, and really dont care for the book.Jules Verne is not my thing.... "
" Of a science fiction classic I had expected something a lot more entertaining an science mad. While I can see past the archaic language and slow pace, I cannot overlook the inconseqencies and the almost complete absence of a surprising plot. "
" My first Jules Verne novel. This was highly entertaining and wonderful for those of us raised on the corresponding James Mason film. "
" I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more Jules Verne. "
" Even though I marked this as a 3, I think it is still an important read. While not as future proof of some of his other books, Verne does an amazing job making science fun. I cannot imagine reading this book in 1864, I am sure it caused quite a stir. "
" Jules Verne's classic novel as an audiobook read by Tim Curry...AWESOME! "
" We listened to this book on CD. The kids and I enjoyed it. I liked the dry sense of humor throughout and the vocabulary used. We all learned some great words, including "prodigious" which they like to say now. It is a good adventure story. "
" A great story from the grandfather of Sci-fi "
" This book is from the 19th century? Well, I knew that but it was awesome! Really, awesome! "
" Good plot although it was hard to relate on technical stuffs but I were able to understand it, my imagination would run wild because of Verne's detailed description of Axel's travel in the centre of the Earth, "
" Il mio preferito di Verne, insieme a "Giro del mondo in 80 giorni". "
" Not as entertaining as some of Verne's other works, but worth the read. "
" It wasn't quite what I expected. More technical than I like, but I enjoyed it. Had bits of humor I wasn't expecting. "
" good but very it look like investigations instead of beeing a novel "
" Es imposible no contagiarse del entusiasmo, lleno de humor, que los personajes de Julio Verne tienen ante la posibilidad alcanzar a la Luna. "
" Just remembered this one as one of my earlier reads, during the years of impression. Quite good--I suppose it's considered dated this day and age. "
" Not good. In fact, it was bad. Half of the text is calculations for how one would get to the moon in post-Civil War America, the other half is futile attempts at comedy and over-dramatizing the American stereotype. D- "
" one of his best, at times I still recall the making of that rocket "
" Great forsight from the author of space travel although his methods were quite different than what actually happened. "
Jules 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.
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