From Samuel to Mark a Bio
In this deeply layered portrait of Mark, acclaimed biographer Ron Chernow turns his formidable talents to a figure who relentlessly pursued fame and fortune, carefully curating his public image along the way. Beginning his career as a journalist, satirist, and popular lecturer, Twain eventually settled in Hartford with his wife and three daughters, where he penned such enduring classics as The Adventures of Tom and Adventures of Finn. Immersed in the vibrant chaos of American life, he rose to prominence as one of the nation's most influential political commentators.
Yet Mark's life was also marked by reckless financial ventures that led to bankruptcy, prompting nearly a decade of self-imposed exile in Europe. He endured the devastating loss of his wife and two daughters, and his later years were defined by grief, passionate political engagement, and increasingly eccentric behavior that sometimes masked deeper turmoil.
Drawing on an extraordinary trove of Twain's letters and unpublished writings, Chernow offers a masterful examination of a man whose life mirrored the nation's evolution-through westward expansion, industrial upheaval, and global conflict. Twain was also the most prominent white writer of his era to confront the legacy of slavery with depth and honesty. More than a century after his death, his words still resonate, provoke, and inspire. With profound insight and narrative brilliance, Chernow delivers a powerful tribute to Twain's genius and complexity, revealing the wild, wondrous, and often tragic life behind one of America's most iconic literary voices.
Customer Reviews
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
