as Joe leaps out of the balloon. The actions taken to rescue Joe later. Narrowly escaping the remnants of a militant army as the balloon dwindles to nothingness with the loss of hydrogen. The shooting of a bluebuck, now known to be anachronistic since the species was already extinct. In all these adventures, the protagonists overcome the challenges they face through continued perseverance more than anything else. The novel is filled with coincidental moments where trouble is avoided because wind catches up at just the right time, or the characters look in just the right direction. There are frequent references to a higher power watching out for them. The balloon itself ultimately gives out before the end, but makes it far enough across to get the protagonists to friendly lands, and eventually back to England, therefore succeeding in the expedition. The story abruptly ends after the African trip, with only a brief synopsis of what follows. Film adaptations 1961 - Flight of the Lost Balloon United States, directed by Nathan Juran and starring Marshall Thompson. Due to pressure from Irwin Allen and 20th Century Fox all references to Jules Verne were dropped from the film. 1962 - [[Five Weeks in a Balloon (film)|Five Weeks in a Balloon]], US, directed by Irwin Allen and starring Red Buttons, Fabian, Barbara Eden, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Peter Lorre, Richard Haydn, Barbara Luna 1975 - Viaje Fantástico en Globo, Mexico, directed by René Cardona Jr. and starring Hugo Stiglitz 1977 - Five Weeks In A Balloon'', Hanna-Barbera animated film directed by Chris Cuddington References Notes Citations Sources External links 1863 French novels 1863 science fiction novels Novels by Jules Verne Novels set in Africa Aviation novels Works set on balloons French novels adapted into films