"Wonderful Balloon Ascents" is a historical novel looking back at the historical voyages made possible by balloon travel. Author Camille Flammarion states that, "The discovery or the invention of the balloon was one of those efforts of genius and enterprise which have no infancy. It had reached its full growth when it burst upon the world, and the ninety (at the time of the book's writing) years which have since elapsed have witnessed no development of the original idea. The balloon of to-day—the balloon in which Coxwell and Glaisher have made their perilous trips into the remote regions of the air—is in almost every respect the same as the balloon with which "the physician Charles," following in the footsteps of the Montgolfiers, astonished Paris in 1783. There are few more tantalising stories in the annals of invention than this."

Fulgence Marion's 'Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies' is a historical account of the development of hot air balloons and their voyages, particularly focusing on the Montgolfier brothers and Vincent Lunardi. Marion reveals how the discovery of the balloon had an extraordinary impact on the people of Europe, arousing enthusiasm, excitement, and hope for new vistas of enterprise and research. However, the practical uses of balloons for travel did not come to fruition. Instead, the balloon served as a vehicle for daring aeronauts who fearlessly pushed the boundaries of human enterprise, sometimes with tragic consequences. Despite the balloon's limited usefulness, Marion shows how its invention had a profound impact on the history of human enterprise and scientific achievement.

**Kirkus Best Books of the Year (2013)** **Time Magazine 10 Top Nonfiction Books of 2013** **The New Republic Best Books of 2013** In this heart-lifting chronicle, Richard Holmes, author of the best-selling The Age of Wonder, follows the pioneer generation of balloon aeronauts, the daring and enigmatic men and women who risked their lives to take to the air (or fall into the sky). Why they did it, what their contemporaries thought of them, and how their flights revealed the secrets of our planet is a compelling adventure that only Holmes could tell. His accounts of the early Anglo-French balloon rivalries, the crazy firework flights of the beautiful Sophie Blanchard, the long-distance voyages of the American entrepreneur John Wise and French photographer Felix Nadar are dramatic and exhilarating. Holmes documents as well the balloons used to observe the horrors of modern battle during the Civil War (including a flight taken by George Armstrong Custer); the legendary tale of at least sixty-seven manned balloons that escaped from Paris (the first successful civilian airlift in history) during the Prussian siege of 1870-71; the high-altitude exploits of James Glaisher (who rose) seven miles above the earth without oxygen, helping to establish the new science of meteorology); and how Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Jules Verne felt the imaginative impact of flight and allowed it to soar in their work. A seamless fusion of history, art, science, biography, and the metaphysics of flights, Falling Upwards explores the interplay between technology and imagination. And through the strange allure of these great balloonists, it offers a masterly portrait of human endeavor, recklessness, and vision. (With 24 pages of color illustrations, and black-and-white illustrations throughout.)

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Wonderful Balloon Ascents: Or, The Conquest Of The Skies. A History Of Balloons And Balloon Voyages. From The French Of F. Marion. With Illus Fulgence Marion C. Scribner, 1870 Balloon ascensions; Balloons