A story of castaways, similar to Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson, this book details the escape from Civil War-era Richmond, Virginia, of five Northern men who dared to go aloft in a balloon in the midst of a hurricane. Deposited on a lonely island in the Pacific, they make do with Yankee ingenuity where Chance has left them nothing. Only later do they find they have a hidden benefactor: Captain Nemo, of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, who resides, alone, secretly on the island. In time, the tiny colony becomes so prosperous that it is able to rescue another castaway from an island a hundred miles away. But all their work will come to naught - their island's volcano is about to awake! (Summary by Mark)
Chapters
1 1-01 The Storm of 1865. Voices in the Air 16 min 2 1-02 An Incident in the War of Secession 22 min 3 1-03 Five O'Clock in the Evening 18 min 4 1-04 Lithodomes. The River's Mouth. The Chimneys 20 min 5 1-05 Arranging the Chimneys. How to Procure Fire 18 min 6 1-06 The Inventory of the Castaways. Expedition to the Forest 19 min 7 1-07 Neb Has Not Yet Returned. A Threatening Night 20 min 8 1-08 Is Cyrus Harding Living? Neb's Recital 19 min 9 1-09 Cyrus is Here. Pencroft's Attempts 22 min 10 1-10 The Engineer's Invention. Volcanic Soil 21 min 11 1-11 At the Summit of the Cone 24 min 12 1-12 Regulating the Watches. Pencroft is Satisfied 21 min 13 1-13 What is Found Upon Top 24 min 14 1-14 Measuring the Cliff. Latitude of the Island 21 min 15 1-15 It Is Decided to Winter on the Island 19 min 16 1-16 The Question of a Dwelling is Again Discussed 19 min 17 1-17 Visit to the Lake. The Indicating Current 22 min 18 1-18 Pencroft Now Doubts Nothing 19 min 19 1-19 Cyrus Harding's Project. The Rope Ladder 20 min 20 1-20 The Rainy Season. The Question of Clothes 18 min 21 1-21 Some Degrees Below Zero 21 min 22 1-22 Traps. Foxes. Peccaries 27 min 23 2-01 Conversation on the Subject of the Bullet 20 min 24 2-02 First Trial of the Canoe. A Wreck on the Coast 20 min 25 2-03 The Start. The Rising Tide 22 min 26 2-04 Journey to the Coast. Troops of Monkeys 18 min 27 2-05 Proposal to Return By the Southern Shore 22 min 28 2-06 Pencroft's Halloos. A Night in the Chimneys 20 min 29 2-07 Plans. A Bridge Over the Mercy 21 min 30 2-08 Linen. Shoes of Seal-Leather 21 min 31 2-09 Bad Weather. The Hydraulic Lift 19 min 32 2-10 Boat-Building. Second Crop of Corn 19 min 33 2-11 Winter. Felling Wood. The Mill 24 min 34 2-12 The Rigging of the Vessel 28 min 35 2-13 Departure Decided Upon. Conjectures 21 min 36 2-14 The Inventory. Night. A Few Letters 23 min 37 2-15 The Return. Discussion 19 min 38 2-16 A Mystery to be Cleared Up 26 min 39 2-17 Still Alone. The Stranger's Request 25 min 40 2-18 Conversation. Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett 23 min 41 2-19 Recollections of Their Native Land 20 min 42 2-20 A Night at Sea. Shark Gulf. Confidences 24 min 43 3-01 Lost or Saved? Ayrton Summoned 24 min 44 3-02 Discussions. Presentiments 22 min 45 3-03 The Mist Rises. The Engineer's Preparations 26 min 46 3-04 The Colonists on the Beach 24 min 47 3-05 The Engineer's Declaration 20 min 48 3-06 Expeditions Planned. Ayrton at the Corral 21 min 49 3-07 The Reporter and Pencroft in the Corral 18 min 50 3-08 The Convicts in the Neighborhood of the Corral 10 min 51 3-09 No news of Neb. A Proposal 20 min 52 3-10 Herbert Carried to Granite House 17 min 53 3-11 Inexplicable Mystery. Herbert's Convalescence 21 min 54 3-12 Exploration on the Serpentine Peninsula 21 min 55 3-13 Ayrton's Story. A Subterranean Volcano 25 min 56 3-14 Three Years Have Passed. The New Vessel 22 min 57 3-15 The Awakening of the Volcano. The Fine Season 27 min 58 3-16 Captain Nemo. His First Words 22 min 59 3-17 Last Moments of Captain Nemo 20 min 60 3-18 Reflections of the Colonists 31 min 61 3-19 Cyrus Harding's Account of His Exploration 28 min 62 3-20 An Isolated Rock in the Pacific 13 min
