Mark Twain and the Mississippi River: How the river impacted Twain’s life, career, and writings – with excerpts from Twain’s “Life on the Mississippi” (History Highlights Series)

This History Highlights.com book about Mark Twain and the Mississippi River shares this fascinating chapter of Twain’s life that so dramatically influenced his life, career, and writings. Mark Twain was born as Samuel Clemens, long before taking his famous pen name. His talent as a writer produced a trove of treasured literary-masterpieces. Audiences around the world packed auditoriums for his humorous and insightful lectures. He always captured his subject with eloquence and unique perspective. More than a century after his death, Mark Twain remains one of the most iconic Americans in history.Twain spent his youth along the banks of the Mississippi River. In his book “Life on the Mississippi,” he wrote: “When I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi River. That was, to be a steamboatman.”Still in his 20s, he fulfilled that life dream. He trained and worked as a pilot aboard Mississippi paddlewheel steamboats for four years before the Civil War ended his career as the river became a battlefield. Taking his pen name from river terminology, Mark Twain would go on to write extensively about the river, its history, characteristics, navigation, and tales. In Life On The Mississippi, Twain wrote: “When we presently got under way and went poking down the broad Ohio [River], I became a new being, and the subject of my own admiration. I was a traveler! A word never had tasted so good in my mouth before.”Join me to explore the triumphs and tragedies of this fascinating chapter of Twain’s life in my audiobook version of “Mark Twain and the Mississippi River.” Savor some of his most amusing and beautiful writings. My History Highlights books share fascinating true stories in about an hour. You deserve some time be fascinated. Join me for a journey of discovery.