Nearly a century before NASA, a visionary novelist wrote this adventure classic about an international space race. Jules Verne's eerily prophetic fantasy unfolds at the close of the Civil War, as three artillerymen resolve to build a gun big enough to propel a manned rocket to the moon. Enlivened by broad satire, this rollicking tale recounts the launch of three astronauts from a Florida peninsula and their return to Earth in a splash landing. Acclaimed as "the man who invented the future," Verne wrote with uncanny accuracy about space, air, and underwater travel long before they were real possibilities. A pioneer of science fiction, he endowed his stories with a freshness and verve that keep them vital for modern readers. This edition features an excellent translation from the original French publication by Verne's foremost interpreter, Edward Roth, and 17 enchanting illustrations

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