Mark Twain
AUTHOR

Mark Twain

Witty Classics Adventure
Tap the gear icon above to manage new release emails.
Mark Twain is the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 - 1910). He was born and brought up in the American state of Missouri and, because of his father's death, he left school to earn his living when he was only twelve. He was a great adventurer and travelled round America as a printer; prospected for gold and set off for South America to earn his fortune. He returned to become a steam-boat pilot on the Mississippi River, close to where he had grown up. The Civil War put an end to steam-boating and Clemens briefly joined the Confederate army - although the rest of his family were Unionists! He had already tried his hand at newspaper reporting and now became a successful journalist. He started to use the alias Mark Twain during the Civil War and it was under this pen name that he became a famous travel writer. He took the name from his steam-boat days - it was the river pilots' cry to let their men know that the water was two fathoms deep. Mark Twain was always nostalgic about his childhood and in 1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was published, based on his own experiences. The book was soon recognised as a work of genius and eight years later the sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was published. The great writer Ernest Hemingway claimed that 'All modern literature stems from this one book.' Mark Twain was soon famous all over the world. He made a fortune from writing and lost it on a typesetter he invented. He then made another fortune and lost it on a bad investment. He was an impulsive, hot-tempered man but was also quite sentimental and superstitious. He was born when Halley's Comet was passing the Earth and always believed he would die when it returned - this is exactly what happened.
Read more Read less
You're getting a free audiobook


You're getting a free audiobook.

$14.95 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Try for $0.00

12 Classic Books You Need to Read Before You Grow Up

New release
View Details
A Connecticut Yankee

Featured Listen

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain's 1889 satirical novel, follows a 19th-century American engineer who is transported back in time to medieval England. The book has inspired numerous adaptations over the years, with the most famous likely being the 1949 musical film starring Bing Crosby.

 Read more

Featured Article: Who's the best? Rediscover the greatest, most notable American writers of all time


To curate a list of famous American writers who are also considered among the best American authors, a few things count: current ratings for their works, their particular time periods in history, critical reception, their prevalence in the 21st century, and yes, the awards they won. Many of these authors are taught in school today. From Hemingway to Harper Lee, these famous American authors are all worthy of enduring recognition—and a fresh listen!

Featured Article Who's the best Rediscover the greatest most notable American writers of all time

Best Sellers

Product List
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $1.43 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $1.43 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • 12 Classic Books You Need to Read Before You Grow Up Audiobook By Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Steve

    Regular price: $29.58 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $29.58 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $24.95 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $24.95 or 1 credit

    Included in Plus membership
    Try for $0.00
  • The Mark Twain Complete Collection Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $38.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $38.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Sale price: $6.99 (64% off) or 1 credit

    Regular price: $19.95

    Sale ends in

    Included in Plus membership
    Try for $0.00
  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $1.43 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $1.43 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $29.95 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $29.95 or 1 credit

    Included in Plus membership
    Try for $0.00
  • 3 Stories About - Social Experiments Audiobook By Mark Twain, Anton Chekhov, Mary Tuttiett cover art

    Regular price: $10.90 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $10.90 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art
  • Roughing It Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    • Roughing It

    • A Personal Narrative
    • By: Mark Twain
    • Narrated by: Norman Dietz
    • Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins
    • Release date: 03-25-02
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 190 ratings

    Regular price: $25.79 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $25.79 or 1 credit

    Included in Plus membership
    Try for $0.00
  • Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $17.18 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $17.18 or 1 credit

    Included in Plus membership
    Try for $0.00
  • 35+ Anthology of Christmas Stories. Classic Collection Audiobook By Charles Dickens, L.M. Montgomery, L. Frank Baum, Mark Twa

    Regular price: $9.82 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $9.82 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • 10 Christmas Stories: Classic Christmas Stories. Christmas Tales / Vintage Christmas Tales for Children and Adults Audiobook

    Regular price: $1.43 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $1.43 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • World's Greatest Short Stories Audiobook By Daniel Defoe, Benjamin Franklin, Washington Irving, Mateo Falcone, Charlotte Bron

    Regular price: $29.58 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $29.58 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $21.49 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $21.49 or 1 credit

    Included in Plus membership
    Try for $0.00
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art
  • Mark Twain - The Complete Novels Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $13.78 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $13.78 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (AmazonClassics Edition) Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $25.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $25.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Tom Sawyer, Abroad Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

    Regular price: $16.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $16.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Masterpieces of American Literature. Twelve Great Novels and Stories Audiobook By Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, Jack Lo

    Regular price: $27.61 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $27.61 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
Looking for more? Browse other popular authors.

Are you an author?

Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography.
Visit Amazon Author Central