Following the Equator - Softcover

Twain, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0792238761 ISBN 13: 9780792238768

Publisher: National Geographic Books, 2005

Synopsis

“The writer of our youth is here with his perennial charm and vigor.” —The New York TimesIn 1895, America’s most celebrated author embarked on a whirlwind round-the-world lecture tour from Paris to Vancouver, the South Seas, Australia, India, and South Africa. Traveling by steamship, train, and rickshaw, Mark Twain circled the globe delivering lectures and writing about the people and stories he encountered along the way. Though best known for his tales of life along the Mississippi River, Twain was an experienced world traveler and this book, his fifth and last travel narrative, is an evocative portrait of nineteenth-century travel and customs. Though the trip was undertaken to help Twain recover from bankruptcy, the circumstances of the journey have no impact on the author’s characteristic sense of comic timing and piercing observations; his wandering spirit and maturation as an astute observer of human nature course through every page. Entranced by India above all other destinations, Twain vividly describes the wedding of a twelve-year-old girl, a visit to the infamous prison cell “the black hole of Calcutta,” and a memorable ride on an elephant. A true classic of travel writing, Following the Equator is a delight—a chance to see the world through the eyes of America’s most unique and beloved author.

About this title

About the Authors

Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri, in 1835. Though he quit school at age 12, his contributions to literature would later earn him honorary degrees from Oxford University and Yale University. Twain first found international success with the publication of his humorous short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Widely considered the father of American literature, he wrote 28 books—including the classic novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—and numerous short stories. He died in Redding, Connecticut, in 1910.

Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri, in 1835. Though he quit school at age 12, his contributions to literature would later earn him honorary degrees from Oxford University and Yale University. Twain first found international success with the publication of his humorous short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Widely considered the father of American literature, he wrote 28 books—including the classic novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—and numerous short stories. He died in Redding, Connecticut, in 1910.

Edition details

• Publisher: National Geographic Books
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0792238761
• ISBN 13: 9780792238768
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 472