This book weaves in all the reasons why the residents of Scotland love to live here; landscape, beautiful scenery, an air of mystery and the great history of the land. Thompson conveys Verne's deep fascination with Scotland and takes the reader on a journey with Verne from his beloved Heart of Midlothian to exploring in the Highlands. This book also explains how Verne's love for Scotland flooded into his literature. Jules Verne, pioneer in the science fiction genre, wrote world- famous books including Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Around the World in 80 Days. His literary legacy is still celebrated today, his books have scarcely been out of print and have spawned a host of films and TV adaptations.

Verne's imagination may have taken him - and us - to the centre of the Earth and the bottom of the ocean; but it was to Scotland that it returned, over and over again. The Scotsman

Although the trip was short-lived, Verne’s experience of Scotland lived forever in his memory, sparking scenes and plots in future works. COLIN WATERS, News Net Scotland

Ian Thompson graduated from the Universities of Durham and Indiana. He has held lecturing posts in the universities of Leeds, Southampton and Miami University Ohio before being appointed to the Chair of Geography at Glasgow University in 1976. He is now a Professor at the University of Glasgow, and a leading expert on Jules Verne. was made an Honorary Life Fellow of La Societe de Geographie (Paris) in 2003 and promoted to the rank of Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques by the French Government in 2005. He was for many years President of the Alliance Francaise de Glasgow.