Showing results by author "Mark Twain" in All Categories

As humans, we often wonder about our heroes’ (and, perhaps, our enemies’) opinions on the most assorted of topics. Mark Twain’s speech “Cigars and Tobacco” serves to satiate such curiosities. In it, he details his storied history with those two substances and his search for the “worst cigar in the New York Market.” It’s a brief treat for anyone who’s ever wondered about Twain’s tobacco consumption, or simply wants to read some miscellaneous wit from this literary master.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1840s in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived as a boy. In the novel Tom Sawyer has several adventures, often with his friend Huckleberry Finn. Originally a commercial failure, the book ended up being the best selling of any of Twain's works during his lifetime. Tom Sawyer, an orphan, lives with his Aunt Polly and his half-brother Sid in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri sometime in the 1840s.

Ten superbly narrated stories that help explain America by America's best writers.

Toward the end of the Hundred Years War between France and England, as Merlin predicted, a great warrior emerged, uniting a beleaguered nation and leading it to improbable victories. It was said this warrior was a messenger of God. And it may have been, for a country was saved and a kingdom restored. This great leader of men, this messenger who united a nation, was a 17-year-old maiden named Joan.

When street urchin Tom Cantry trades places with Edward VI, Prince of Wales, he thinks everything's going to be easy. But young Tom finds himself caught in the trappings of a Prince, while possessing the heart of a beggar. The Prince and the Pauper is one of the more famous stories in children's literature, as well as one of the greatest "trading places" story of all time, showcasing Twain's satirical wit and acute sense of political irony.

Young listeners will be captivated by Mark Twain's remarkable adventure story of two young boys who exchange identities and learn the nature of true nobility. Adapted and narrated by Jim Weiss. A classic adventure set in medieval England, this tale is brought to a new generation by master storyteller Jim Weiss. The whole family will enjoy listening to Mark Twain's remarkable adventure story of two young boys who exchange identities and learn the nature of true nobility.

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti narrates "The War Prayer", a short story or prose poem by Mark Twain, a scathing indictment of war and particularly of blind patriotic and religious fervor as motivations for war.

This treasured historical satire, played out in two very different socioeconomic worlds of 16th-century England, centers around the lives of two boys born in London on the same day: Edward, Prince of Wales and Tom Canty, a street beggar. During a chance encounter, the two realize they are identical and, as a lark, decide to exchange clothes and roles--a situation that briefly, but drastically, alters the lives of both youngsters.

"Luck" was published in 1891 in Harper's Magazine and received little attention at the time. The English military hero, Lord Arthur Scoresby, is an idiot who blunders through life on pure good luck. In the Crimean War, he gets confused between his right and left hand to lead a charge in the wrong direction, which surprises a Russian force and ensures an Allied victory.

This hilarious classic by America's favorite author, Mark Twain tells the wry tale of a big frog jumping contest and the controversial outcome that results.

A captivating retelling of Mark Twain's classic adventure story. True to the original in plot, character, themes and style, this is an excellent way for any listener to meet Tom Sawyer for the first time. Tom Sawyer is a respectable boy in a little Mississippi River town. Huck Finn is a freedom-loving, neglected outcast. What better playmate could Tom want?One night, innocent games of pirates and Robin Hood turn serious when the boys witness a murder in the graveyard.

A pillar of American literature, Mark Twain's prototypical coming-of-age introduces the iconic Tom Sawyer and his best friend Huckleberry Finn. Tom's panache for mischief and unyielding desire for adventure commonly leads him into trouble, but quick wits and a smooth tongue always navigates him to safety. When Tom and Huck witness a murder and the culpable Injun Joe escapes justice, Tom, who testified against the bandit, is left to wonder how he will get out of yet another bind.

Perhaps the best-loved 19th-century American novel, Mark Twain's tale of boyhood adventure overflows with comedy, warmth, and slapstick energy. It brings to life an array of irresistible characters - the awesomely self-confident Tom, his best buddy Huck Finn, indulgent Aunt Polly, and the lovely, beguiling Becky - as well as such unforgettable incidents as whitewashing a fence, swearing an oath in blood, and getting lost in a dark and labyrinthine cave.

"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is a wild yarn involving a case of mistaken identity, a gambler who’d bet on anything, and a very unusual frog named Daniel Webster. First published in The Saturday Press in 1865, the tale was immensely popular, and in 1867 an expanded version was published with 26 additional short stories, told as only Mark Twain could tell them.

The author of outstanding travel books, autobiographical works and novels, including the classic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", "Mark Twain" (Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835–1910) is regarded by many as America's finest humorist and a major writer of short stories. The four selections in this volume span his entire writing career and are among his best-known stories.

Transported 1300 years into the past, Connecticut engineer Hank Morgan finds himself in Camelot, the legendary home of King Arthur and his fabled Knights of the Round Table. Becoming a friend and adviser to the king, Hank encounters Merlin, Lancelot, Guinevere, and all the other characters from Arthurian legend. As he attempts to take on the task of analyzing the problems of their time, he tries to share his knowledge from the future in order to modernize, Americanize, and improve the lives of the people he meets.

Cast off on a raft with a runaway slave down the great Mississippi and a boy who couldn't dream of a greater adventure. With each bend of the river, each town, comes a chance encounter, perhaps with a king or duke wrapped in the schemes of scoundrels or a young girl caught amidst a family feud. On a journey with a friend dreaming of freedom, it's full of mischief, full of fun, and the adventures of a lifetime.

"What Is Man?", the 1906 essay by Mark Twain, is a dialogue between a young man and an older man involving ideas of destiny, free will, and egoism. The old man asserts that the human being is merely a machine, but the young man objects and asks him to go into particulars and provide the reasons for his attitude.

Widely regarded as one of the Great American Novels, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn follows the title character and his unlikely companion, a runaway slave named Jim, as they attempt to escape the confines of “sivilized” life. Written in the first person vernacular and brimming with satire, insight, and good old fashioned adventure, Twain’s tale is ideal for listening.

Mark Twain décrit avec beaucoup de talent les frasques et mésaventures de Tom Sawyer, jeune garçon à l'esprit vif et débordant d'imagination, élevé par sa tante Polly, au bord du Mississipi. Tom ne loupe pas une occasion de se distinguer pour plaire à la jolie Becky, et il est toujours prêt pour vivre des aventures en compagnie de son inséparable ami Huckleberry Finn, fils de l'ivrogne du village. Un soir dans un cimetière, Tom et Huck sont témoins d'un meurtre. Muff Potter est accusé du crime, mais Tom et Huck savent que le véritable assassin est Joe l'Indien...