A Tramp Abroad (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading)
By Mark Twain and Michael J. Kiskis
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Mark Twain
Who Was Mark Twain? Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens (1835 -1910), was the celebrated author of several novels, including two major classics of American literature: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He was also a riverboat pilot, journalist, lecturer, entrepreneur and inventor. Early Life Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in the tiny village of Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835, the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. When he was 4 years old, his family moved to nearby Hannibal, a bustling river town of 1,000 people. John Clemens worked as a storekeeper, lawyer, judge and land speculator, dreaming of wealth but never achieving it, sometimes finding it hard to feed his family. He was an unsmiling fellow; according to one legend, young Sam never saw his father laugh. His mother, by contrast, was a fun-loving, tenderhearted homemaker who whiled away many a winter's night for her family by telling stories. She became head of the household in 1847 when John died unexpectedly. The Clemens family "now became almost destitute," wrote biographer Everett Emerson, and was forced into years of economic struggle - a fact that would shape the career of Twain. Twain in Hannibal Twain stayed in Hannibal until age 17. The town, situated on the Mississippi River, was in many ways a splendid place to grow up. Steamboats arrived there three times a day, tooting their whistles; circuses, minstrel shows and revivalists paid visits; a decent library was available; and tradesmen such as blacksmiths and tanners practiced their entertaining crafts for all to see. However, violence was commonplace, and young Twain witnessed much death: When he was nine years old, he saw a local man murder a cattle rancher, and at 10 he watched an enslaved person die after a white overseer struck him with a piece of iron. Hannibal inspired several of Twain's fictional locales, including "St. Petersburg" in Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. These imaginary river towns are complex places: sunlit and exuberant on the one hand, but also vipers' nests of cruelty, poverty, drunkenness, loneliness and soul-crushing boredom - all parts of Twain's boyhood experience. Sam kept up his schooling until he was about 12 years old, when - with his father dead and the family needing a source of income - he found employment as an apprentice printer at the Hannibal Courier, which paid him with a meager ration of food. In 1851, at 15, he got a job as a printer and occasional writer and editor at the Hannibal Western Union, a little newspaper owned by his brother, Orion. Steamboat Pilot Then, in 1857, 21-year-old Twain fulfilled a dream: He began learning the art of piloting a steamboat on the Mississippi. A licensed steamboat pilot by 1859, he soon found regular employment plying the shoals and channels of the great river. Twain loved his career - it was exciting, well-paying and high-status, roughly akin to flying a jetliner today. However, his service was cut short in 1861 by the outbreak of the Civil War, which halted most civilian traffic on the river. As the Civil War began, the people of Missouri angrily split between support for the Union and the Confederate States. Twain opted for the latter, joining the Confederate Army in June 1861 but serving for only a couple of weeks until his volunteer unit disbanded. Where, he wondered then, would he find his future? What venue would bring him both excitement and cash? His answer: the great American West.
Related to A Tramp Abroad (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading)
Related ebooks
Mark Twain's Letters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDelphi Complete Works of Hall Caine (Illustrated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVisit to Iceland and the Scandinavian North Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lost Musicians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sorrell and Son Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Palace of Art Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Marianela Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAtala: Or The Love And Constancy Of Two Savages In The Desert Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Mungo's Dream Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Aylwins Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAyala's Angel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kerrigan in Copenhagen: A Love Story Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Essence of Vienna Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Happy Ant-Heap: And Other Pieces Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDoctor Wortle's School Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lucio's Confession Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Five Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bridge at Arta Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Count Robert of Paris by Sir Walter Scott (Illustrated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSelected Short Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Madonna of The Astrolabe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRiceyman Steps Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5History of John Bull Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Companion to the English Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Smash-up (La Debacle): The Downfall Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTristana: by Benito Pérez Galdós Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wings of the Dove by Henry James (Illustrated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Man Who Won The Pools Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Travel For You
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: Traveler's Guide to Batuu Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Notes from a Small Island Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5RV Hacks: 400+ Ways to Make Life on the Road Easier, Safer, and More Fun! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpotting Danger Before It Spots You: Build Situational Awareness To Stay Safe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/550 Great American Places: Essential Historic Sites Across the U.S. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fodor's Bucket List USA: From the Epic to the Eccentric, 500+ Ultimate Experiences Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Mexico Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lonely Planet The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vagabonding on a Budget: The New Art of World Travel and True Freedom: Live on Your Own Terms Without Being Rich Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpanish Verbs - Conjugations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKon-Tiki Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cool Japan Guide: Fun in the Land of Manga, Lucky Cats and Ramen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5West with the Night (Warbler Classics) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLet's Build A Camper Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fodor's Best Road Trips in the USA: 50 Epic Trips Across All 50 States Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Living the RV Life: Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Puerto Rico Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Drives of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Most Spectacular Trips Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5South: Shackleton's Endurance Expedition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Southwest Treasure Hunter's Gem and Mineral Guide (6th Edition): Where and How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems and Minerals Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDisney Declassified Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Travel Guide to Ireland: From Dublin to Galway and Cork to Donegal - a complete guide to the Emerald Isle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFodor's New Orleans Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Reviews for A Tramp Abroad (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading)
0 ratings0 reviews