Life on the Mississippi
Mark Twain
1835 – 1910
ENPublic Domain
Summary
"Life on the Mississippi" by Mark Twain is a memoir and travel book published in 1883. It recounts Twain's experiences as a young steamboat pilot's apprentice on the Mississippi River before the Civil War, detailing the art of navigating the ever-changing waters. The second half chronicles his return journey decades later, observing how railroads, growing cities, and time have transformed the river and its culture. Blending personal history with tall tales and social commentary, Twain captures a vanishing era of American river life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Subjects
- Authors, American — 19th century — Biography
- Mississippi River — Description and travel
- Mississippi River Valley — Social life and customs — 19th century
- Pilots and pilotage — Mississippi River
- Twain, Mark, 1835-1910 — Travel — Mississippi River