1905 Rare Book - Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Author: Jules Verne. Illustrated by Henry Austin.
Title: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
Publisher: London, Melbourne and Toronto: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited. [No date, circa 1905]. Complete two parts bound in one volume.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5" x 5.25".
Pages: 320 pages + publisher's catalog.
Binding: Attractive and very good original bright blue pictorial cloth binding featuring a stunning underwater scene stamped in gilt, black, red, and olive, with a jellyfish motif to the spine and a dramatic depiction of a whale and divers to the front board. Gilt titles to spine and front (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, some light foxing and staining - as shown, early gift inscription from a previous owner on the second blank page - as shown, small closed tear to the outer margin of the title page nicely repaired by a previous owner -  as shown).
Illustrations: Frontispiece and one full-page black-and-white plates by Henry Austin, both present and clean. Each illustration vividly captures the dramatic and mysterious underwater world imagined by Verne.

The book: A striking early 20th-century English edition of Jules Verne’s classic science fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, nicely illustrated by Henry Austin. This edition stands out not only for its collectible pictorial binding—vividly depicting Captain Nemo’s undersea adventures—but also for its solid condition and richly atmospheric illustrations. A handsome and display-worthy example of an enduring literary masterpiece.

The author: Jules Verne (1828–1905) was a visionary French novelist and pioneer of the science fiction genre. With an unmatched imagination and a deep interest in science and exploration, Verne authored a series of "Extraordinary Voyages" that captivated readers worldwide. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, first published in 1870, introduced the iconic Captain Nemo and his futuristic submarine, the Nautilus, offering a profound reflection on human ambition and the mysteries of the deep.

The illustrator: Henry Austin was a British artist known for his skillful and moody illustrations of classic adventure and science fiction tales. His work for this edition adds a dramatic realism and intensity to Verne’s underwater episodes, emphasizing both the wonder and the peril of the deep-sea world.