Jules Verne 
Robur The Conqueror 

Robur, a character very much like Verne’s maybe best-known hero Captain Nemo, tries to build the world’s heavier-than-air-ship, the Albatross. He gets all the publicity, which is not very much what one of America’s ballon clubs wants him to get. Robur finally captures a few members of the club and off they go on a pretty weird journey around the world …