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Verne, Jules
THE CITY IN THE SAHARA [Barsac 2]
english translation: 1960
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GRADING:
Ace H-43
1968

Paperback
Jerome Podwil
.60
near-Fine

1960 translation by I. O. Evans (?) of L'Etonnante Aventure de la Mission Barsac - 1919 (French.) A "Fitzroy Edition" - published first in Britain by Arco, and shortly thereafter in U.S.A. by Associated Booksellers. Large books were often split into 2 volumes or abridged by Evans to conform to publisher's length requirements of approx. 190 pages.

The City in the Sarhara - Book 2 of "The Barsac Mission." (summary condensed from the introduction): Here are recounted the events which followed the kidnapping of Jane Blazon and the Barsac Mission. Unpublished until after Verne's death in 1905, the story incorporates inventions made toward the end of his life - notably of wireless telegraphy. It showed he shared the contemporary belief that liquid air was the motive power of the future, but also illustrates his foresight in his descriptions of rocket-propelled missiles, aircraft with vertical take-off and automatic stabilizers, and the attempt to control the weather by inducing passing clouds to discharge themselves in rain.

Beginning in 1958, the "Fitroy" editions were translated or edited by I. O. Evans (in some cases he did the first English translation.) Sometimes he made abridgements - the publishers had requirements that the books be a certain length; this explains why longer books were broken into 2 parts. Ace only reprinted 10 of the 63 "Fitzroy" editions in paperbak, but did a very classy job: the wonderful covers by Jerome Podwil perfectly capture period and mood.