Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a classic science fiction novel by French writer Jules Verne (1828–1905), published in 1870 under the title Vingt mille lieues sous les mers. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Alphonse de Neuville and Edouard Riou.

The novel is about the fictional Captain Nemo and his submarine, Nautilus, as seen by one of his passengers, Professor Pierre Aronnax.

The title refers to the distance traveled under the sea, not to the depth, since 20,000 leagues is 20 times the radius of the earth. It is a common misconception that it refers to the depth. There is a passage in the book about this.

The story was written before modern sea-going submarines were a reality. It is narrated by Professor Pierre Aronnax, a noted marine biologist, who is accompanied by his faithful assistant Conseil and by a Canadian harpooner named Ned Land. As the story begins, a mysterious "sea monster", theorized by some to be a giant narwhal, is sighted by ships of several nations; an ocean liner is also damaged by the creature. The United States government finally assembles an expedition to track down and destroy the menace. Since Aronnax happens to be in New York City at the time and is a recognized expert in his field, he is invited at the last minute to go along, and he accepts. Master harpoonist Ned Land and Aronnax's faithful assistant Conseil were also brought on board.... (From Wikipedia)

Download 20, 000 Leagues under the Sea

Pdf format, 823kb, published by Pennsylvania State University.

"First published over a century ago, Jules Verne's science fiction adventure is about three men who are taken captive by the evil genius Captain Nemo. His plan is to take them to a frontier where no one has ever been, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"

About the Author:

Jules Verne, one of the most influential writers of modern times, was born on February 8, 1828 in Nantes, France. He wrote for the theater and worked briefly as a stockbroker. Verne is considered by many to be the father of science fiction. His most popular novels include Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days. These and others have been made into movies and TV mini-series. Twenty Thousand Leagues is even the basis of a popular ride at the Disney theme parks. In 1892, he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in France. He died on March 24, 1905 in Amiens, France. (From Amazon.com)

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