Roughing It is a book of semi-autobiographical travel literature written by American humorist Mark Twain. It was written during 1870–71 and published in 1872 as a prequel to his first book The Innocents Abroad (1869). This book tells of Twain’s adventures prior to his pleasure cruise related in Innocents Abroad. Roughing It follows the travels of young Mark Twain through the Wild West during the years 1861–1867. After a brief stint as a Confederate cavalry militiaman (not included in the account), he joined his brother Orion Clemens, who had been appointed Secretary of the Nevada Territory, on a stagecoach journey west. Twain consulted his brother’s diary to refresh his memory and borrowed heavily from his active imagination for many stories in the book. Roughing It illustrates many of Twain’s early adventures, including a visit to Salt Lake City, gold and silver prospecting, real-estate speculation, a journey to the Kingdom of Hawaii, and his beginnings as a writer. In this memoir, readers can see examples of Twain’s rough-hewn humor, which would become a staple of his writing in his later books, such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer(1876), and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889).

Product Description: This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

Product Description: The Depression that follows the 1929 stock market crash is emptying Paris of many American expatriates. Two exceptions are Dorothy and James T. Farrell, the naïve young couple who have fled their home in Chicago for the fabled liberation that Paris seems to offer...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Describes the author's experiences during the six years he spent in California, Nevada, and Hawaii.

Product Description: "Studs Lonigan's Neighborhood" presents a fresh and surprising portrait of the South Side Chicago locale Studs Lonigan, Danny O'Neill, and their creator, novelist James T. Farrell, came up in nearly a century ago. Farrell, long a figure of critical neglect, has often been as freely misportrayed as the neighborhood he made famous...read more

Product Description: Elmira, 1992 1st Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies at Quarry Farm. ISBN 1-880817-04-7. Octavo, 97pp., original wraps. VG, light staining on front.

Product Description: The PENNSYLVANIA was a side wheel "packet." In 1958 the Pennsylvania's boilers exploded.Sam Clemens account of the disaster can be found in chapter 20 of, Life On The Mississippi. A more up to date account, including local newspaper articles of the day, can be found in Men Call Me Lucky: Mark Twain and the Pennsylvania...read more