Five Weeks in a Balloon is not only the first installment in Jules Verne-s celebrated Voyages Extraordinaires series, but also the first of Verne-s works to earn him widespread popularity as a writer of science fiction and adventure novels.
Following his invention of an ingenious new air balloon capable of long-distance flight, Dr. Samuel Fergusson embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his trusted servant, Joe, and loyal friend, Dick Kennedy. As they make their way through air across the unexplored regions of Africa, they attempt to do what has never been done before: discover the source of the Nile. On the way, they must overcome extreme thirst, withstand assaults from hostile tribes, and stage a series of daring rescues and brilliant escapes. Jules Verne-s Five Weeks in a Balloon is a classic novel of hope and determination that asks today-s reader to take to the air, if only for a short time, in search of what must always defy belief.