Mark Twain

Have read Ron Chernow books before and this doesn’t disappoint. Expertly researched it runs chronologically through Twains life and writing. Though a long book it is a very easy fascinating read.

This is a magnificent biography. I’ve read dozens over decades but this is probably the very best. Grant next if I can find a copy.

Informative and brings Mark Twain to life in the text

First class biography

After reading Grant and Hamilton, two exceptional biographies, I did not hesitate to order this. It is a pale imitation. Why? By definition Grant’s life was full of remarkable incident, politics and fascinating characters. A life befitting a world famous General and two term President who was mired in corruption but fought the KKK amongst other achievements. In comparison Twain is a writer of consequence who spent time lecturing, fighting with people and losing money. Chernow is not a literary critic and has nothing new to say about the books. The early life is engaging but he soon takes refuge in gossip and ephemera, substituting significant events, of which there are very few, with - 4.00pm on a Tuesday in September 1887 Twain had a cup of tea, did some writing and had an argument. It is granular in its detail even though the detail is pedestrian. I am surprised this book has so many stars, Mr Chernow needs to stick to figures of real historical significance rather than an author who wrote one very notable novel and gave entertaining lectures.

I got this as a gift for someone, but it came with these horrendous yellow marks on the back.

An excellent read.

BIG book, but extremely interesting and well-written

Excelente libro. En muy buen estado. Ojalá vinieran más protegido para evitar manchas o raspones.

Great book that captures Samuels life in minute details. Meant for avid readers only as it's over 1k pages. I forgot matter will not be able to write about myself with such fineness and details. Though I received book with torn cover still book deserves a perfect rating.

Anyone who has ever read a Chernow biography knows to expect comprehensive treatment of the subject that covers all phases and every aspect of their lives. The ability to pull all of those aspects of life into a single volume is what makes Chernow the premier biographer of the twenty-first century. Most people know Twain for his literary accomplishments, but he was many other things too. He was a political pundit with a wide-ranging influence and held positions that may make some modern Americans a little uncomfortable. Political commentary is often best conveyed with biting sarcasm or humor and Twain was certainly able to leverage his literary talents to this end. Chernow is very good at brining these different aspects to life, and he does it well with Twain, whose life straddled many areas. In this book, Chernow expands his bibliographic profile, embracing a subject who is not primarily a political or financial figure, but an artist who influenced his world less through policies but through cultural influence. Chernow may be accused of too much detail, but readers should keep in the mind is that his aim is author a nuanced biography that includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. He doesn’t engage in hagiography nor assassination. He writes biographies built on facts worked into a narrative replete with sound historical analysis. Facts and data must be interpreted and that is nature of historical writing. Chernow leverage nuance to build a comprehensive narrative. He interacts with the reader, he does not merely dump information on them. Looking at the manufacturing quality, this book has been elegantly put together. It has a fine matte finish on the dust jacket (much better than glossy!), and exquisite and inviting interior design and font, and is generously supplemented with photos. The spine is stitches and not glued, so readers can be assured the book will be durable. Chernow’s writing is clear and crisp, not bogging down. That may be surprising for a book of this length, but style has little to do with length. The writing is either engaging or it isn’t. This book will make a great summer read and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.