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By Mark Twain

Non-Fiction Books

Showing 21 of 21 books in this series
Cover for Mark Twain's Letters From Hawaii

I went to Maui to stay a week and remained five. I had a jolly time. I would not have fooled away any of it writing letters under any consideration whatever. --Mark TwainSo Samuel Langhorne Clemens made his excuse for late copy to the Sacramento Union, the newspaper that was underwriting his 1866 trip. If the young reporter's excuse makes perfect sense to you, join the thousands of Island lovers who have delighted in Twain's efforts when he finally did put pen to paper.

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Cover for The Innocents Abroad
ISBN: 1619492350

In 1867, Mark Twain and a group fellow-Americans toured Europe and the Holy Land, aboard a retired Civil War ship known as “Quaker City.” Throughout the journey, Twain kept a written record of his experiences. “The Innocents Abroad” is both a travelogue and a critique of clashing cultures—but more importantly, it is an entertaining and insightful work written by one of the great masters of American prose.

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Cover for The Innocents at Home

The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims' Progress is a travel book by American author Mark Twain published in 1869 which humorously chronicles what Twain called his "Great Pleasure Excursion" on board the chartered vessel Quaker City (formerly USS Quaker City) through Europe and the Holy Land with a group of American travelers in 1867. It was the best-selling of Twain's works during his lifetime, as well as one of the best-selling travel books of all time.

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Cover for Mark Twain's Burlesque Autobiography; and, First Romance

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

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Cover for Roughing It
ISBN: 0743436504

Though known throughout the world for his fictional novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain was also a skilled chronicler of his own life and experiences. In his youth, Twain traveled extensively throughout the untamed American West with his brother, working his way from town to town in a variety of jobs, including gold prospector, reporter, and lecturer. Roughing It is Twain's personal recollection of his wanderlust years. It is a wildly humorous adventure yarn that combines hard facts with a healthy dose of the author's unique perspective, one that helped define the course of American literature. Pocket Books' Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enriched for the contemporary reader. This edition of Roughing It has been prepared by Professor Henry B. Wonham of the University of Oregon. It includes his introduction, notes, selection of critical excerpts, and suggestions for further reading as well as a unique visual essay of period illustrations and photographs.

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Cover for The Awful German Language / Die schreckliche deutsche Sprache

A wonderful book full of satire about the German language. Written by the genius Mark Twain. This is half German and half English, so it is a great way to pick up on key German words. This copy is still in its original wrapping, so it has never been opened. It is brand new, and ready to be read.

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Cover for A Tramp Abroad
ISBN: 486424456

The success of Twain's first collection of travel memoirs, The Innocents Abroad, inspired a return to Europe for another look at some of the countries and landmarks that initially dazzled the author and his companions. In A Tramp Abroad, Twain's abundant humor waxes as freely as ever; this time, however, his amusement bears a more cynical cast, as he regards the grand tourist sights in Innocents through older and more experienced eyes. The seriousness of the author's second impressions provides an interesting subtext to the overall jocularity of his narrative, making this volume a milestone in the Twain oeuvre and a must for his legions of admirers. Appendix.

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Cover for On the Decay of the Art of Lying

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

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Cover for Life on the Mississippi

Life on the Mississippi is a memoir by Mark Twain of his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before the American Civil War. It is also a travel book, recounting his trip along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to New Orleans many years after the war.

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Cover for How to Tell a Story and Other Essays

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare's finesse to Oscar Wilde's wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim's Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library

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Cover for Following the Equator

The classic travelogue of one of America's most famous authors, Mark Twain, "Following the Equator" was written when having fallen upon hard times financially, Twain found himself compelled to take a tour of the British Empire in 1895 and write about it. This is that account, published in 1897; it is a classic example of Twain's ever vigilant observational wit. He addresses such important and still ever timely topics as racism, imperialism and religion.

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Cover for English as She is Taught

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

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Cover for What is Man? and Other Essays

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library.

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Cover for My Debut as a Literary Person

My Debut As A Literary Person: With Other Essays And Stories is a collection of essays and short stories by the renowned American author Mark Twain. Originally published in 1903, the book includes Twain's personal account of his early days as a writer, as well as a number of humorous and satirical pieces on various topics such as politics, religion, and social issues. The book also features several of Twain's most famous short stories, including ""The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"" and ""The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg."" Overall, My Debut As A Literary Person is a witty and entertaining read that showcases Twain's unique style and perspective on the world.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

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Cover for Christian Science
ISBN: 1406855286

First published in 1907, this collection of essays is highly critical of the beliefs of Christian Scientists.

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Cover for Is Shakespeare Dead?

""Is Shakespeare Dead?"" is a non-fiction book written by Mark Twain, exploring the question of whether William Shakespeare was the true author of the plays attributed to him. Twain argues that Shakespeare's background and lack of education make it unlikely that he could have written such masterpieces, and presents evidence to support the theory that another person or group of people wrote the plays. Twain also delves into the history of the Elizabethan theater and the politics of the time, offering a unique perspective on the Shakespearean authorship debate. The book is a witty and thought-provoking examination of one of the most enduring mysteries in literary history.When Shakespeare died, in 1616, great literary productions attributed to him as author had been before the London world and in high favor for twenty-four years. Yet his death was not an event. It made no stir, it attracted no attention. Apparently his eminent literary contemporaries did not realize that a celebrated poet had passed from their midst.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

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Cover for Mark Twain's Speeches

Mark Twain's Speeches

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Cover for Mark Twain on Religion

a. Man the Machine. b. Personal Merit [The Old Man and the Young Man had been conversing. The Old Man had asserted that the human being is merely a machine, and nothing more. The Young Man objected, and asked him to go into particulars and furnish his reasons for his position.] Old Man. What are the materials of which a steam-engine is made? Young Man. Iron, steel, brass, white-metal, and so on.

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Cover for The Bible According to Mark Twain

An indispensable and provocative compilation of witty essays dealing with Biblical stories and their inconsistencies from America’s master satirist, Mark Twain. The Bible According to Mark Twain is a selection of essays spanning forty years of his writing career, which touch on and satirize stories and figures from the Bible. In his characteristic style, Twain illustrates the inherent comedy and inconsistencies found within Holy Scripture, simultaneously entertaining and provoking questions about man’s place in the world and his relationship with God. An important installment in the Twain canon, this book is perfect for fans of America’s master satirist.

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Cover for Mark Twain: The Complete Interviews(With: Gary Scharnhorst)

The great writer’s irascible wit shines in this comprehensive collection Mark Twain: The Complete Interviews is an annotated and indexed scholarly edition of every known interview with Mark Twain. In these interviews that span his entire career, Twain discusses matters as varied as his lecture style, his writings, and his bankruptcy, while holding forth on such timeless issues as human nature, politics, war and peace, government corruption, humor, race relations, imperialism, international copyright, the elite, and his impressions of other writers. These interviews are oral performances in their own right and a new basis for evaluating contemporary responses to Twain’s writings. The interviews are records of verbal conversations rather than texts written in Twain’s hand. Four interviews are new to scholarship; fewer than a fifth have ever been reprinted. .

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Cover for Letters from the Earth

Letters From the Earth is a somber collection of essays and stories written by Mark Twain after the death of his wife and one of his daughters. Satan writes a probing letter to his fellow archangels Michael and Gabriel about the inconsistencies of human religious faith, in the title story. In this posthumously published book, Twain uses his characteristic acerbity and lucid powers of observation to investigate the nature of existence.

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