Books with title Mark Twain: An American Legend

“All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn… it’s the best book we’ve had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.” –Ernest HemingwaySamuel Langhorne Clemens—better known by his pen name of Mark Twain—towers over all other American writers. But who was the man behind the novels?In this revealing, compact biography, Alexander Kennedy examines Twain’s extraordinary life, expertly separating from fact from fiction, biography from legend. Here we see how Twain rose from an impoverished boyhood on the Mississippi to become one of the nation’s most famous men, using the very material of that impoverished boyhood to propel his rise. But Twain’s life also had more than its share of tragedy, and his story is also one of failure, bankruptcy, and grievous loss. Mark Twain: His Life and Legacy guides the reader through Twain’s many rises and falls, showing how this master author spun both his highs and lows into literary gold, changing the face of world literature forever."Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest." - Mark TwainBuy Now to Discover:Twain’s unsuccessful careers as a steamboat pilot and prospector.Twain’s brief service with the Confederate Army.The duel that forced Twain to flee to California.The controversies around Twain’s magnum opus, Huckleberry Finn.The unlikely friendship between Twain and Ulysses S. Grant.Twain’s disastrous business ventures.Countless witticisms and insights in the great humorist’s own words.Buy Now and Read The True Story of Mark Twain...

The new popular biography of one of America's most enduring symbols of the Old West. David Crockett was an adventurer, a pioneer, and a tragic hero who died at the Alamo. But the life of the real Crockett has been largely obscured and overshadowed by his mythology, turning this honest, unassuming backwoodsman into a larger-than-life, Disney-fied character in a coonskin cap. In his short but distinguished lifetime, Crockett became America's original celebrity, frequently written about in newspapers and becoming an integral part of the folklore of his day. Opportunistic and clever, and presciently media-savvy, Crockett parlayed his humble origins to his advantage, using his charismatic frontiersman persona to win elections as a three-time U.S. Congressman and even a nomination as presidential candidate. The 1834 publication of his memoir, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett-by Himself, one of the first autobiographies of its kind, went through seven printings, and sent Crockett on the first-ever book tour across the Eastern seaboard. At heart, Crockett was unassuming and down-to-earth, obstinate and independent to a fault. In a beautifully descriptive narrative, American Legend takes readers from Crockett's childhood hardships, near-death experiences, and meager education through his unlikely rise to Congress. Though his death at the Alamo on March 6, 1836, only added to his considerable fame and notoriety, the common David Crockett emerges here as never before: a rugged individual, an American original, and an enduring symbol of the American frontier.

This book in the Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History series introduces young readers to the famous writer, comedian, world traveler and lecturer. This poor boy born Sam Clemens grew up to write books that changed literature in America and around the world. Celebrated around the world for his humorous writings, Mark Twain often had little to laugh about in his life. He was plagued by financial difficulties, and his wife and three of his children all died before him. Despite these setbacks, he maintained the broadly appealing sense of humor that made him the first American star. From his Mississippi boyhood, through the Civil War, his years of fame following the publication of Huckleberry Finn, and his business reversals and family tragedies, Mark Twain's story is a fascinating trip through a changing United States. Includes many photos, reproductions of contemporary art and artifacts, newspaper excerpts, a timeline of Twain's life, an index and a list of places to visit.

This book in the Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History series introduces young readers to the famous writer, comedian, world traveler and lecturer. This poor boy born Sam Clemens grew up to write books that changed literature in America and around the world. Celebrated around the world for his humorous writings, Mark Twain often had little to laugh about in his life. He was plagued by financial difficulties, and his wife and three of his children all died before him. Despite these setbacks, he maintained the broadly appealing sense of humor that made him the first American star. From his Mississippi boyhood, through the Civil War, his years of fame following the publication of Huckleberry Finn, and his business reversals and family tragedies, Mark Twain's story is a fascinating trip through a changing United States. Includes many photos, reproductions of contemporary art and artifacts, newspaper excerpts, a timeline of Twain's life, an index and a list of places to visit.