Mark Twain

"There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless."-Mark Twain, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894)The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson: And the Comedy Those Extraordinary Twins (1894), one of Mark Twain's most entertaining, funny, but also bitter works, takes place during the antebellum in the fictional town of Dawson's Landing on the Mississippi River. It tells the tale of switching identities-one a baby boy born into slavery and the other a baby boy born to be the master of the house. Twain offers his quintessential ironic vision of slavery and race in America, topics that one hundred twenty years after its publication are still haunting the US.Included is the short story of The Comedy Those Extraordinary Twins, which introduces the twins Luigi and Angelo Capello, who also show up in The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson. This replica of the original edition contains unique marginal illustrations-cartoon-sized illustrations in the margins of the text-by the illustrators F. M. Senior and C. H. Warren.

"When I am king they shall not have bread and shelter only, but also teachings out of books, for a full belly is little worth where the mind is starved." -Mark Twain, The Prince and the Pauper (1881) The Prince and the Pauper-A Tale for Young People of All Ages (1881), by Mark Twain, set in 16th-century England, tells the story of two young boys who were born on the same day and are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father, and Edward VI of England, son of King Henry VIII of England. In this tale, Twain satirizes social conventions and offers a critique of legal and moral injustices.This replica of the original edition of The Prince and the Pauper, containing 192 illustrations by Frank T. Merrill and John Harley, is a testament to the perennial quality of this classic.

" '...and a manner so peculiar and romantic, and extraneous, and ad libitum, and heart-searching, that- that- he- he is an impressionist, I presume' 'No, ' said the captain simply, 'he is a Presbyterian.' "-Mark Twain, The American Claimant (1892) The American Claimant (1881), by Mark Twain, is a humorous book about mistaken identities. The main characters are Colonel Mulberry Sellers, an eccentric American claimant to the Earldom of Rossmore in England, and Berkeley Rossmore, heir of the Earl of Rossmore, who is captivated by American democracy.This jacketed hardcover replica of the original edition of The American Claimant, containing 23 illustrations by well-known American illustrator Daniel Beard, is a pleasure to read.

"That's the difference between governments and individuals. Governments don't care, individuals do."-Mark Twain, A Tramp Abroad (1880)A Tramp Abroad (1880), by Mark Twain, is about his travels with his friend Joseph Twichell through the German Black Forest, the Swiss Alps, and Italy. The storyteller, Twain, acts as a typical American tourist of the time touring Europe, believing that he understands the continent when in reality he doesn't at all. This replica of the original 1880 edition of A Tramp Abroad, containing 328 illustrations by several artists, including True W. Williams, Walter Francis Brown, Benjamin Henry Day, William Wallace Denslow and also Mark Twain himself, offers a very amusing read even one hundred and twenty years after its initial publication.

"That's the difference between governments and individuals. Governments don't care, individuals do."-Mark Twain, A Tramp Abroad (1880) A Tramp Abroad (1880), by Mark Twain, is about his travels with his friend Joseph Twichell through the German Black Forest, the Swiss Alps, and Italy. The storyteller, Twain, acts as a typical American tourist of the time touring Europe, believing that he understands the continent when in reality he doesn't at all. This jacketed hardcover replica of the original 1880 edition of A Tramp Abroad, containing 328 illustrations by several artists, including True W. Williams, Walter Francis Brown, Benjamin Henry Day, William Wallace Denslow and also Mark Twain himself, offers a very amusing read even one hundred and twenty years after its initial publication.

"I have scattered through this volume a mass of matter which has never been in print before (...) not doing this in order to make an advertisement of it, but because these things seemedinstructive.-Mark Twain, Preface Sketches New and Old (1875) Sketches New and Old (1875) by Mark Twain is a collection of short stories published first as newspaper articles all with Twain's humorous writing style. This replica of the 1893 edition of Sketches New and Old, with the authentic illustrations by True Williams is an enjoyable little read.

"A jury of inquest was impaneled, and after due deliberation and inquiry they returned the inevitable American verdict which has been so familiar to our ears all the days of our lives-'NOBODY TO BLAME." -The Gilded Age, (1873) The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873), is a two-volume satirical novel written by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner describing late 19th-century Washington D.C. and its cast of characters of corrupt politicians and greedy "robber barons." This period of political corruption and ostentatious materialism became known as the Gilded Age, named after this book. The Gilded Age, offering insight in the problems of growing wealth inequality, resembling those of early 21st century, is a true classic with lessons for modern times.

"This book is merely a personal narrative and not a pretentious history or a philosophical dissertation...Yes, take it all around, there is quite a good deal of information in the book. I regret this very much; but really it could not be helped: information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter."-Mark Twain (1872) Roughing It (1872) is Mark Twain's second travel book, after The Innocents Abroad (1869). It describes his journey from Missouri to Nevada, his life in the American West, and his visit to Hawaii. This book offers a humorous take on American and Western society and on Twain's experiences as a gold prospector and speculator in real estate.This replica of the original 1872 edition of Roughing It, with three hundred illustrations by a host of illustrators, is a quintessential chronicle of Twain's life and experiences.

"This book is merely a personal narrative and not a pretentious history or a philosophical dissertation...Yes, take it all around, there is quite a good deal of information in the book. I regret this very much; but really it could not be helped: information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter."-Mark Twain (1872) Roughing It (1872) is Mark Twain's second travel book, after The Innocents Abroad (1869). It describes his journey from Missouri to Nevada, his life in the American West, and his visit to Hawaii. This book offers a humorous take on American and Western society and on Twain's experiences as a gold prospector and speculator in real estate.This jacketed hardcover replica of the original 1872 edition of Roughing It, with three hundred illustrations by a host of illustrators, is a quintessential chronicle of Twain's life and experiences.

"Arthur Twain was a man of considerable note-a solicitor on the highway in William Rufus' time. At about the age of thirty he went to one of those fine old English places of resort called Newgate, to see about something, and never returned again. While there he died suddenly."-Mark Twain, Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography (1871) Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance (1871) are two short stories by Mark Twain. The first tale is a humorous story about fictional characters, supposedly Twain's ancestors. The second tale is about a strange power struggle in a European province.This jacketed hardcover replica of the original edition of Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance, with the authentic illustrations, is not among Twain's best-known books, but still a nice little read.

"Arthur Twain was a man of considerable note-a solicitor on the highway in William Rufus' time. At about the age of thirty he went to one of those fine old English places ofresort called Newgate, to see about something, and never returned again. While there he diedsuddenly."-Mark Twain, Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography (1871)Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance (1871) are two short stories by Mark Twain. The first tale is a humorous story about fictional characters, supposedly Twain's ancestors. The second tale is about a strange power struggle in a European province.This replica of the original edition of Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance, with the authentic illustrations, is not among Twain's best-known books, but still a nice little read.

"This book is a record of a pleasure-trip... Yet not-withstanding it is only a record of a picnic, it has a purpose, which is, to suggest to the reader how he would be likely to see Europe and the East if he looked at them with his own eyes instead of the eyes of those who travelled in those countries before him."-Mark Twain (1869) The Innocents Abroad or The New Pilgrims' Progress (1869), is a humorous travel book based on Mark Twain's letters about his 1867 voyage on the steamboat "Quaker City" to Europe, Egypt, and the Holy Land. In a satirical manner, Twain draws a contrast between his own experiences and the contemporary often romanticized guidebooks, which were mostly used by travelers and tourists of those times.This replica of the original 1869 edition of The Innocents Abroad, with two hundred and thirty-four illustrations by True Williams, was Twain's best-selling work during his life and one of the best-selling travel books of all time.

"This book is a record of a pleasure-trip... Yet not-withstanding it is only a record of a picnic, it has a purpose, which is, to suggest to the reader how he would be likely to see Europe and the East if he looked at them with his own eyes instead of the eyes of those who travelled in those countries before him."-Mark Twain (1869)The Innocents Abroad or The New Pilgrims' Progress (1869), is a humorous travel book based on Mark Twain's letters about his 1867 voyage on the steamboat "Quaker City" to Europe, Egypt, and the Holy Land. In a satirical manner, Twain draws a contrast between his own experiences and the contemporary often romanticized guidebooks, which were mostly used by travelers and tourists of those times.This replica of the original 1869 edition of The Innocents Abroad, with two hundred and thirty-four illustrations by True Williams, was Twain's best-selling work during his life and one of the best-selling travel books of all time.