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Introduction by Don Watson
"The air was balmy and delicious, the sunshine radiant; it was a charming excursion. In the course of it we came to a town whose odd name was famous all over the world a quarter of a century ago Wagga-Wagga." (Mark Twain)
At the height of his fame, Mark Twain, the writer and humorist from Missouri, was facing financial ruin from one of his failed business ventures. Broke but much-loved, he embarked on a lecture tour around the equator, making a stop in Australia.
The Wayward Tourist republishes Mark Twain's Australian travel writing in which he recounts his impressions of Sydney ("God made the Harbor... But Satan made Sydney") and his view of Australian history ("[it reads] like the most beautiful lies"), with much lamenting about his carbuncle.
In his introduction, Don Watson brilliantly animates this unforgettable encounter between Mark Twain and Australia. He pays homage to America's great "funny man" who brought his American swagger, love of language and wicked talent for observation to our shores.
In a life full of incident, Mark Twain's moment in Australia is wonderful entertainment.
RRP: $26.95
| ISBN 13: | 9780522854312 |
| ISBN 10: | 0522854311 |
| Binding: | Paperback |
| Pages: | 224 |
| Dimensions: | 130 x 200 mm |
| Released: | 01/10/2007 |
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On Nov. 30, 1835, the small town of Florida, Mo. witnessed the birth of its most famous son. Samuel Langhorne Clemens was welcomed into the world as the sixth child of John Marshall and Jane Lampton Clemens. Little did John and Jane know, their son Samuel would one day be known as Mark Twain - America's most famous literary icon.
At 13, Samuel left school to become a printer's apprentice. After two short years, he joined his brother Orion's newspaper as a printer and editorial assistant. It was here that young Samuel found he enjoyed writing.
At 17, he left Hannibal behind for a printer's job in St. Louis. While in St. Louis, Clemens became a river pilot's apprentice. He became a licensed river pilot in 1858. Clemens' pseudonym, Mark Twain, comes from his days as a river pilot. It is a river term which means two fathoms or 12-feet when the depth of water for a boat is being sounded. "Mark twain" means that is safe to navigate.
Twain began to gain fame when his story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County" appeared in the New York Saturday Press on November 18, 1865. Twain's first book, "The Innocents Abroad," was published in 1869, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" in 1876, and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in 1885. He wrote 28 books and numerous short stories, letters and sketches.
Mark Twain passed away on April 21, 1910, but has a following still today.
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