Mark Twain

Version: Unabridged
Author: Geoffrey C. Ward , Dayton Duncan , Ken Burns
Narrator: Bill Meisle
Genres: Biographies
Publisher: Random House Audio
Date: November 2001
Length: 8 hours
Ratings:
Formats :
  • CD
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Overview

From the authors of Jazz, Baseball, and The Civil War: the first fully illustrated biography of one of the central figures of our literature -- the American titan who gave us Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, and Life on the Mississippi.

Using material from his works, diaries, and letters, along with photographs from every stage of his life, Mark Twain follows the great writer/humorist/lecture/people's philosopher from the Hannibal, Missouri of his childhood, to the Europe and Middle East of his travels (and hilarious travel books); from his beginnings as a newspaperman to his storied life as (in his own words) "the most conspicuous man on the planet." Here too are thought-provoking new essays on Twain and his legacy by modern writers and scholars.

The essential companion volume to the upcoming public television series, Mark Twain also stands on its own as an enthralling biography.

Selected Reviews

Mark Twain

by molly
  • Book Rating: 5/5

Great biography of a great man

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 7

Reviews (7)

Mark Twain

Written by molly from Miami, FL on January 23rd, 2012

  • Book Rating: 5/5

I truly enjoyed this book. It took me back in time and see how people use to live. I also love my simply audio. I enjoy go to and from work and listing to the tapes. Am never in a hurry anymore. Lol.

Great biography of a great man

Written by Anonymous from Woodstock, GA on April 14th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Great biography of perhaps the nation's greatest writer, and an enjoyable record of his life and works. Twain changed American Literature, and this story deals more with his life and experiences, and how they affected his writings, than with the writings themselves. The reader is truly exceptional, jumping into out out of character without being obvious and distracting. Highly recommended.

Boring...............That's Right, Boring

Written by Tonytoga from Houston, TX on February 15th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 2/5

Perhaps I'm just not a Twain fan. I take that back.......after this book, I'm convinced I'm not a Twain fan. I've tried several Mark Twain biographies and have never been able to get interested and this one was not exception. Mark Twain always seems to come off as a grumpy blowhard and Mr.'s Ward, Burns and Duncan don't seem to be able to paint him in any different light in this book. I stopped about half way through from complete lack of interest. The book seemed to be well written enough, I just wasn't interested in the subject matter.

mark twain

Written by Anonymous on November 26th, 2005

  • Book Rating: 4/5

A wonderful book. I enjoyed the story of his family, life, and struggles. I was able to see the true personality and many facets of his life. You will enjoy every minute of this audio book

Mark Twain

Written by James Callopy from Gresham, OR on February 21st, 2005

  • Book Rating: 3/5

A well-done book that provided me with an unknown perspective on Mark Twains life. I chose this book looking for entertainment and hoping for a few memorable quotes. What I got was a dark, sad, and lonely picture of a man and his family. This book should have a warning label so you know what a tragic story it is.

Mark Twain

Written by Mark Kunkee from Kansas City, MO on November 29th, 2004

  • Book Rating: 5/5

An Excellent book! This gave me a much deeper appreciation for this great American author. The details of his life are fascinating and the mode through which they are presented had me laughing at Twain's wit and humor as well as sorrowful for all the trials this man endured. An excellent read or listen!

Mark Twain

Written by Warren Boroson from Hackensack, NJ on November 1st, 2004

  • Book Rating: 5/5

I admire Mark Twain enormously--and this book told me a great deal that I didn't know about him and his life.

Selected Reviews

Mark Twain

by molly
  • Book Rating: 5/5

Great biography of a great man

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 7

Author Details

Author Details

Ward, Geoffrey C.

Geoffrey C. Ward<b> </b>won the National Book Critics Circle Award<b> </b>in 1989. With Ken Burns, he is coauthor of <i>The Civil</i> <i>War</i> and <i>Jazz</i>. He lives in New York City.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>

Duncan, Dayton

Stanley Vestal's other books include "The Old Santa Fe Trail," also available as a Bison Book. Dayton Duncan, author of "Miles from Nowhere: In Search of the American Frontier," is a scriptwriter for the filmmaker Ken Burns.

Burns, Ken

"After earning his BA at Hampshire College, Brooklyn-born Ken Burns pursued a career as a documentary filmmaker. At age 22, he formed Florentine Films in his home base of Walpole, New Hampshire. Dissatisfied with dry, scholarly historical documentaries, Burns wanted his films to ""live,"" and to that end adopted the technique of cutting rapidly from one still picture to another in a fluid, linear fashion. He then pepped up the visuals with ""first hand"" narration gleaned from contemporary writings and recited by top stage and screen actors. Burns' first successful venture was the award-winning documentary The Brooklyn Bridge, which ran on public television in 1981. While he was Oscar-nominated for his 1985 theatrical release The Statue of Liberty, Burns' work has enjoyed its widest exposure on television: such films as Huey Long (1985), Thomas Hart Benton (1986) and Empire of the Air (1991) (a bouquet to the pioneers of commercial radio) have become staples of local PBS stations' seasonal fund drives. In 1990, Burns completed what many consider his ""chef d'oeuvre"": the eleven-hour The Civil War, which earned an Emmy (among several other honors) and became the highest-rated miniseries in the history of public television. Civil War was the apotheosis of Burns' master mixture of still photos, freshly shot film footage, period music, evocative ""celebrity"" narration and authentic sound effects. In 1994, Ken Burns released his long-awaited Baseball, an 18-hour saga which, like The Civil War, was telecast at the same time as the publication of a companion coffee-table book. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide"