Five weeks in a balloon : a journey of discovery by three Englishmen in Africa /

Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863) was Jules Verne's first novel and his second biggest seller after Around the World in Eighty Days. Though it has become overshadowed by works such as Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Five Weeks has all the hallmarks of the best Verne works: drama mixed with comedy, the latest technology (here, obviously the balloon) pushed into realms of speculation (Verne imagined methods for controlling balloons not yet in existence), and ethical debates around war, greed, and, in this case, hunting. Walter does an excellent job of bringing Verne's language to life; this readable translation is accessible and modern without losing a sense of being of the 19th century. The introduction and footnotes enhance the experience, as do the many illustrations. The book also includes a very useful "gallery of heroes," which gives thumbnail bios of the more than 150 real-life scientists and adventurers mentioned by Verne but now known primarily to specialists only. This work will appeal to a broad audience. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; students in technical programs; general readers. --Annalisa Castaldo, Widener University