Jules Verne's career as a novelist began in 1863, when he struck a new vein in fiction-stories that combined popular science and exploration. In "Around the World in Eighty Days", Phileas Fogg rashly bets his companions GBP20,000 that he can travel around the entire globe in just eighty days-and he is determined not to lose. Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, the reserved Englishman immediately sets off for Dover, accompanied by his hot-blooded French manservant, Passepartout. Traveling by train, steamship, sailboat, sledge, and even elephants.
 
Combining exploration, adventure, and a thrilling race against time, "Around the World in Eighty Days" gripped audiences upon its publication and remains hugely popular to this day.