From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne, translated by Louis Mercier and Eleanor...

Fifteen years after his death, the editors of Science and Invention declared Jules Verne “The World’s Greatest Prophet”. Notable among Verne’s publications was De la terre à la lune (or From the Earth to the Moon). Published in 1874, it described space exploration nearly a century before man first set foot on the moon. Verne often used the new discoveries of the nineteenth century as a basis for his fantastical adventure novels, popular with both adults and children alike. The National Air and Space Museum library holds many of Verne’s works, including early editions with exquisite engraved illustrations and stamped cloth covers.