Life on the Mississippi

In this special republication of the first edition, more than 300 atmospheric black-and-white illustrations complement the great American humorist's recollections of his pre–Civil War days as a steamboat pilot. Twain recounts his youthful training, describes the science of navigation on the mercurial river, narrates a passenger trip undertaken years later from St. Louis to New Orleans, and serves a hearty sampling of tall tales.
"Your true pilot cares nothing about anything on earth but the river," notes Twain, "and his pride in his occupation surpasses the pride of kings." The author's commentary sparkles with keen observations on increased competition from railroads, up-and-coming cities along the river, and incidents of greed, gullibility, and other human foibles.

American author and humorist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who wrote under the name of Mark Twain, is best remembered for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which provided the setting for his well-known novels. He drew upon his experiences as a steamboat pilot to write Old Times on the Mississippi, an 1875 series for the Atlantic Monthly that led to Life on the Mississippi.