From the Earth to the Moon (Bantam Classics)

For a book published in 1865 about Americans after the Civil War this book is quite good and easy to read. Most old books have long strung sentences and words that don't make sense anymore and overall are a headache to read. This is the exact opposite. Plus, the outrageous plot written like it's actually happened is the best part.

Every book written by Jules Verne that I have ever read I have thought to be a true masterpiece, and this novel is no exception! It features the Gun Club, a club established during the Civil War whose members tend to be a little...er..."incomplete," as one of the characters himself puts it. These men are growing bored in the absence of opportunities to construct and test out new artillery weapons, so their president, the imperturbable, confident Barbicane, proposes they send a projectile to the Moon via a gigantic cannon! This idea is greeted with great approval from the world over, as Barbicane and his club work to organize all the details of the experiment and make sure everything will go perfectly. But despite lots of support from many nations, one man, Barbicane's main enemy, Captain Nicholl, bets several thousand dollars that the experiment will go amiss. To add to the confusion, right in the midst of things, a suave, passionate Frenchman named Michel Ardan decides to ride to the Moon in the projectile himself! I thought this book was, more than anything, very amusing. Verne's way of making his characters truly jump off the page with their vivid dialogue and lovable quirks provides for an abundance of understated humor. I also admired the book's thoroughness in its portrayal of the organization needed to help really get this project "off the ground," from the discussions of the necessary precautions to take, through the math and scientific facts that guide the crafty inventors, up to the assembly of the cannon. The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns and character revelations which fit nicely into the story. A must-read!

I have always been a fan of Verne. His scientific knowledge is presented in such a way that, if you don't know what he is talking about, he will explain it to you, and if you still don't get it, you will at least be convinced that what he is saying is truth. I loved this book and could not put it down. It almost remindes me of David Bowie singing "Space Oddity". The sequal to the book is likewise similar to Peter Shillings answer song, "Major Tom". This is a great book, and will be loved by any Verne fan, or a fan of the "Steampunk" genere.

Julio Verne muestra en este excelente libro su capacidad para la anticipación y su exactitud y rigor científico. Verne investigo cuidadosamente antes de emprender esta obra, y a pesar que la misma cuenta con algunos errores (por ejemplo, la tripulación parte a la Luna en una gigantesca bala de cañón, lo cual mataria instantáneamente a los tripulantes debido a la aceleración) pero en suma es una obra interesante y de agradable lectura, con pasajes divertidos y un gran desenlace. Verne también se adelanto a su tiempo y de alguna manera predijo algunos de los eventos que se harían realidad muchosaños mas tarde. Por ejemplo, Verne pronosticó que su nave espacial sería lanzada desde la Florida (USA) cuando en realidad el vuelo del Apollo 11 salio de este mismo estado (Verne predijo Tampa, y en realidad salió desde en Centro Espacial Kennedy en Merritt Island). Además el predijo tres astronautas, dos norte-americanos y uno europeo (en la realidad hubo 3 norteamericanos, pero Collins nació en Italia, o sea que acertó!) el hecho que la capsula descendiera en el agua etc,etc. Estos y muchas otras coincidencias nos muestran la increible visión de este hombre, que junto con 20,000 Leguas de Viaje Submarino o La Vuelta al Mundo en 80 Dias,o Dueño del Mundo se adelanta a su tiempo y es fiel reflejo de una época de invenciones y esperanza en la inventiva humana.Para finalizar lo recomiendo ampliamente a los amantes de los viajes espaciales, no olviden que Konstantin Tsiolkovski y otros pioneros se inspiraron en los libros de Verne para definir el futuro del espacio.-

Un gran clásico de la literatura. Un obra emocionante ambientada en el siglo XIX.

This is a prophetic, both scientifically and socially, novel by Jules Verne that was first published in 1865. Verne was a satiric critic whose novel strongly hints at the future military industrial complex. This story depicts a club of artillery experts, the Baltimore Gun Club, bemoaning the end of the U. S. Civil War. The President of the Club, Impey Barbicane, comes up with a new project: a cannon shot to the moon. The idea for having passengers comes from a Frenchman. Most of the novel is concerned with the preparations for the launch which occurs at the end of the book. The story continues in Verne's sequel, "Round the Moon" (1870). It's amazing how many things Verne correctly predicted. Verne was perhaps the first author who attempts to make his novels agree with the science known at his time, although there are still mistakes. Verne is also making a number of political points as well in comparing the freedom observed in the U. S. and the real lack of such freedom in France of the 1860s. Readers should also note that Walter James Miller has provided an annotated edition of this novel in 1978 that is excellent.