Böcker av Laurence Bergreen

From the acclaimed biographer of explorers Magellan, Columbus, and Francis Drake comes a unique exploration of life and influence of Jules Verne, the novelist whose mind spun the greatest adventures ever told and whose daring and prescient imagination sparked a lasting transformation of modern society and technology, inspiring everyone from J.R.R. Tolkien to Kurt Vonnegut to Jeff Bezos. "We are all, in one way or another, the children of Jules Verne." --Ray BradburyHis stories inspired the greatest literary minds--J.R.R. Tolkien, Kurt Vonnegut, Ursula K. le Guin. He inspired real-world expeditions and discoveries, compelling undersea explorers, aviation pioneers, and astronauts to seek out the unknown. He's one of the most widely translated authors in the world, outmatched only by Agatha Christie and Shakespeare. Jeff Bezos's rocket factory includes a two-story replica of the spaceship from one of his novels.Few writers have left such an enduring legacy on the world as Jules Verne. Widely considered the "father of science fiction," Verne stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. His novels--including such revered classics as Around the World in 80 Days and Journey to the Center of the Earth--not only thrilled and entertained, but also predicted innovations and technological advancements that in time would become everyday realities. Brimming with intellect, science, adventure, and paradoxes, his work dared to imagine a world beyond the limits of what was thought possible and, in turn, inspired future generations to achieve the unthinkable. From acclaimed biographer Laurence Bergreen, Jules Verne and the Invention of the Future is an engaging, vibrant, and richly researched account of a singular visionary who profoundly shaped our modern world.

"Irving Berlin (1888--1989) was unable to read or write music and could only play the piano in the key of F-sharp major; yet, for the first half of the twentieth century he was America's most successful"

The astonishing tale of the first sea voyage to circumnavigate the entire globe. Magellan's dramatic maritime expedition in 1519 discovered the straits that enabled Europe to trade with the Eastern spice islands and changed the course of history.

This edition does not include illustrations.Is there life on Mars? And if not, why not? These questions have gripped mankind throughout the twentieth century. In the shadow of the new millennium, The Quest for Mars seeks the definitive answers from the dedicated NASA scientists participating in the race to discover life on the Red Planet.'Ever since I was a small child, I've believed there was life out there. When I look at the magnitude of the universe, with its billions of stars, I believe that if life developed here on Earth, it must have developed elsewhere. We simply can't be unique. I really don't think we're the most intelligent life forms in the universe, but that's just my gut feeling', Dr Claire Parkinson, NASA scientist.Of all the planets, Mars has exerted the most powerful allure over the human intellect and imagination. Generations of astronomers have expected to find clues to the origin and destiny of Earth and its inhabitants concealed amid the red storms sweeping across the surface of Mars. Today, the mystique of Mars is even greater. Public interest in the Mars mission is sky-high; the exploits of the tiny Mars Rover 'Sojourner' in the summer of 1997 excited the greatest curiosity in a space mission in a generation.In The Quest for Mars Laurence Bergreen has unrestricted access to a team of NASA employees - engineers, geologists and other scientists - who are consumed by the search for proof of life on Mars. As one formidable obstacle after another attempts to scupper their quest for a deeper understanding of life on Mars and throughout the Solar System, the narrative takes us step by step through the exhilaration and the despondency of their extraordinary adventure. Nothing is off limits in this unique, behind-the-scenes story of space exploration.

Columbus undertook three voyages between 1494 and 1504, each designed to demonstrate that he could sail to China within a matter of weeks and convert those he found there to Christianity. This book shows how the subsequent voyages illustrate the costs - political, moral, and economic.

The extraordinary life of one of the great travellers of world history