"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.

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Originally published in 1926, this book by the renowned British meteorologist Napier Shaw focuses on the history of meteorology.