An invaluable companion to 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' and 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer', 'Life on the Mississippi' is Mark Twain's inimitable portrait of 'the great Father of Waters'. Part memoir, part travelogue, it expresses the full range of Twain's literary personality, and remains the most vivid, boisterous and provocative account of the cultural and societal history of the Mississippi Valley, from 'the golden age' of steam boating to the violence wrought by the Civil War. This new edition of 'Life on the Mississippi' contains a comprehensive introduction, extensive annotations and a guide to further reading designed to appeal to both the student and the general reader. AUTHOR: Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 -1910) alias Mark Twain, is considered one of America's greatest ever writers. Not only did he write enormously popular novels, such as 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer', but also a series of classic travel books, including 'Life on the Mississippi' and 'The Innocents Abroad'. Probably his finest work is 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn', which is rated as one of the finest American novels ever written.