Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg wagers half his fortune on the astounding proposition that he can travel all the way around the world in just 80 days. So begins this classic 1873 tale of adventure, entertainment, and suspense, as Fogg and his French valet, Passepartout, circle the globe by train and ship. To add to the drama, a Scotland Yard detective, convinced that Fogg is a criminal evading justice, has vowed to stop them in their tracks. Jules Verne's novel colorfully recaptures the spirit of its time, when readers were fascinated by new technologies and eager to discover faraway places. This travelogue sweeps through many exotic settings, including the jungles of India, where Fogg and Passepartout rescue a rajah's widow, and across the Pacific to the American frontier, where they brave a bison stampede and an attack by Sioux Indians. Generations have thrilled to Around the World in Eighty Days hat is action-packed story, which continues to capture the imagination of young readers.