Independently Published

Around The World In Eighty Days Independently Published

Jules VerneAround the World in Eighty Days was written in difficult times, both for France and for Verne. It was during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) that Verne was recruited as a Coast Guard; he was having financial difficulties, his father had recently died and he had witnessed a public execution that had disturbed him. Despite all this, Verne was enthusiastic about his work on the new book, the idea of which occurred to him one afternoon in a cafe in Paris while he was reading a newspaper. The technological innovations of the 19th century had opened up the possibility of rapid circumnavigation, and the prospect fascinated Verne and his readers. In particular, three technological advancements occurred in 1869-1870 that made possible a trip around the world as a tourist for the first time: the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in America (1869), the connection of Indian railways across the subcontinent (1870 ), and the opening of the Suez Canal (1869). It was another notable mark at the end of an era of exploration and the beginning of an era of fully global tourism that could be enjoyed in relative comfort and safety.