Loyal Books

Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne is a arts podcast hosted by Loyal Books. It has 44 episodes, with the latest published January 2026.

First published in 1863, Five Weeks in a Balloon depicts an insightful journey undertaken by a group of intrepid explorers into the partly uncharted African continent, as they aim to explore its exotic wonders. Apart from concentrating on themes including exploration, loyalty, friendship, determination, and honor, the novel also offers an endearing set of jovial characters and vivid imagery. Furthermore, the novel is the first book in Verne’s distinguished Voyages Extraordinaires series.The adventure begins when Dr. Samuel Fergusson attempts to devise a mechanism to allow him to travel across the unexplored regions of Africa, an objective that many before him have tried and failed. Dr. Fergusson continues to put forward his calculations on just how the trip is to be carried out, including details on the how the balloon filled with hydrogen would work. The journey across Africa in itself presents quite the challenge, let alone attempting the dangerous expedition on an ingenious invent

arts ·en-us ·44 episodes