1875 First English Edition - The English at the North Pole by Jules Verne

Author: Jules Verne. Illustrated by Édouard Riou.
Title: The English at the North Pole.
Publisher: London and New York, George Routledge and Sons, 1875. First English edition, first issue.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 x 5 inches. 
Pages: iv-314 pages.
Binding: Very good original publisher’s blue pictorial cloth binding, gilt and black stamped to upper board with Arctic scene, gilt title to spine, decorative panels and vignettes (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges gilt. An attractive Victorian binding.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing  - as shown, Ink ownership name to the front endpaper and a small ownership cold stamp are present - as shown). 
Illustrations: Complete with all 129 illustrations by Édouard Riou, including full-page plates and numerous in-text wood engravings. All illustrations present and well printed.

Estimate: (USD 600–1000).

The book: The English at the North Pole is the first English-language appearance of Jules Verne’s Aventures du capitaine Hatteras, published by Routledge in 1875. This is the true first English edition, first issue, identifiable by the presence of the printer’s credit and the publisher’s notice announcing the planned sequel (The Field of Ice) on the final printed page.

The novel is one of Verne’s most compelling polar narratives, blending adventure fiction with a remarkably accurate portrayal of Arctic geography and conditions as understood in the mid-19th century. Verne draws heavily on contemporary exploration accounts, including the Franklin expedition and the long, heroic efforts to trace its fate. The result is both a gripping narrative and a document deeply rooted in the scientific and exploratory mindset of its era.

Édouard Riou’s illustrations are integral to the book’s impact. His dramatic depictions of icebound ships, towering ice cliffs, and perilous polar journeys bring visual authority to Verne’s text and firmly situate this volume within the golden age of illustrated Victorian adventure literature.

The author: Jules Verne (1828–1905) is universally regarded as one of the founding figures of modern science fiction and adventure literature. His Voyages Extraordinaires series combined rigorous research, scientific curiosity, and narrative imagination, influencing generations of writers and explorers alike. The English at the North Pole occupies a key position in Verne’s canon, reflecting his fascination with exploration, endurance, and the limits of human ambition in extreme environments.

The illustrator: Édouard Riou (1833–1900) was among the most important illustrators of 19th-century French adventure literature and a frequent collaborator of Jules Verne. His illustrations for Verne’s works are celebrated for their technical precision and atmospheric depth. In The English at the North Pole, Riou’s imagery powerfully conveys both the grandeur and the hostility of the Arctic world, enhancing the realism and dramatic tension of the narrative.