First published in 1874, "The Mysterious Island" is French author Jules Verne's exciting adventure which begins amidst the siege on Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Five northern prisoners plan an unconventional escape by hijacking a hot air balloon. What is in store for them is more than they bargained for. Cyrus Harding, an engineer in the union army; his servant Nebuchadnezzar, a former slave; sailor Bonadventure Pencroft; his...

Taken aboard the submarine Nautilus by Captain Nemo, the narrator and his companions find themselves captives on a spectacular tour of the world's oceans, and witnesses to Nemo's increasingly obsessive hatred of the surface world. Professor Pierre Aronnax was rescued from drowning by Captain Nemo, who insists that in order to protect the secret of his submarine, Aronnax must stay on board the Nautilus for the rest of his life. They explore the oceans,...