Product Description
Here for the first time in one volume are the most famous and characteristic of Mark Twain's works. Through each of them runs the powerful and majestic Mississippi. The river represented for Twain the complex and contradictory possibilities in his own and the nation's life: the place where civilization's comforts meet the violence and promise of freedom of the frontier. It was the place, too, where Twain's youthful innocence confronted the grim reality of slavery. The nostalgic re-creation of childhood in "Tom Sawyer"--"simply a hymn put into prose form to give it a worldly air," said Twain--and the richly anecdotal memoir of his days as a riverboat pilot in "Life on the Mississippi" give way to the realism and often dark comedy of "Huckleberry Finn" and the troubled exploration of slavery in his mystery, "Pudd'nhead Wilson." Together, these four books trace the central trajectory of his life and career, and they can be read as a single masterpiece. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Mark Twain at his Finest
In this volume of a multi-volume issue, Mark Twain's finest works are included. And, the Mississippi is the background. For it was the river that presented Twain with the opporunity to write some of his most compelling works.

Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Pudd'nhead Wilson are included along with Life on the Mississippi. High school English teachers would do well with introducing their learners with Twain's masterpieces. This volume does it!!

Great Collection
This great collection has four of Mark Twain's most famous books, containing some of his most essential work:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Pudd'nhead Wilson. All deal with the Mississippi area that is so essential to his life and work -- and to American literature and culture generally. Putting them together is thus ideal, and anyone who is still without them would do well to get them here. It is a fine edition with extensive notes and documentation; the quality of the book itself is also very high, and we even get a built-in bookmark. Anyone wanting specifics may read on, but the gist is that everyone should have these works in some form.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a treasure of American literature and has added immeasurably popular fiction. If any book needs no introduction, it is this. Its influence is simply ubiquitous;: countless images are commonplace not only in literature but also in television - nay, everywhere. The tale is timeless and universal. Though it may have been written mainly for children, it can - and should - definitely be enjoyed by all. The imagination, narrative drive, and sheer adventure will fascinate children of all ages and may very well spark an early love of reading. However, the book also exists on a whole other level. The character of Tom symbolizes the child in us all - what we once were, or what we'd like to be (again, perhaps) and the innocence that we have so irretrievably lost. As always with Twain, it also contains masterful wit. Keen observations on society and human nature abound, as do subtle comments on religion and superstition; this is quite a good satire of religion in its own way - very different from what Twain later did it in works like Letters from the Earth. The book contains many bits of wit and interlaced commentary that will likely be lost on younger readers but that older and/or more perceptive readers will enjoy immensely. It is truly an American classic and an essential read.

Mark Twain is synonymous worldwide with the Mississippi River, mainly because of the Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn stories. However, Life on the Mississippi is just as important and, in a testament to Twain's greatness, nearly as readable despite being non-fiction. It details his history with the river and gives an overview of the river itself; this may sound boring, and almost certainly would be with anyone else, but I long ago decided that even Twain's laundry list would be worth reading, and this certainly is. The magic he seemed to bring to everything is in full force; one would be very hard-pressed to find another non-fiction book that is so entertaining, besides Twain's others of course, but it is also awesomely informative. In addition, Life is historically notable as the first book written on a typewriter, not Huck as is commonly thought; however, it made Twain able to finish Huck, which he had struggled with for some years and set aside. Huck fans and scholars will want to read Life for this alone, but it is more than worthy in itself.

Twain starts by giving some basic facts and history; this is the least interesting part but only lasts a few pages, and I urge anyone bored by it to continue. Much of the information is of course dated but remains historically valuable as a portrait of the river as it then stood. Far more interesting is Twain's unforgettable rundown of his years as a riverboat pilot - a central life experience that led to much of his writing. We get a fascinating glimpse of this long-vanquished trade, which was all but unthinkable even when Life was published. It is important to recall that Twain was a pilot before such boats had steam or even lights at night. He details piloting's extraordinary difficulties with engrossing detail and typical self-deprecating humor. We learn much along the way about the riverboat lifestyle, the river itself, and riverside towns. Anyone curious about what it was like to live in this era and/or how its inhabitants thought and acted will find a wealth of information; we learn as much here as in any history book, and it is of course infinitely better written. Life covers a crucial American history era and is an important primary source even for those not interested in Twain and certainly essential for anyone who is, as it gives substantial background about a crucial part of his life. The book is indeed in part a bildungsroman; Twain had always loved the river and began pilot training soon after first leaving home. He structures the narrative so that it reads much like a story, and we see him grow from naïveté and ignorance to an admirable experience and wisdom.

Twain then details a trip he made on the river many years later, noting what changed and what stayed the same. There is significant autobiographical material here also, but the crux is descriptive. Twain describes the river's whole length and everything having to do with it as he goes, making it all utterly absorbing. As always, there are many eminently readable tangents. Several are autobiographical - reminisces as well as then recent events. Particularly interesting is Twain's profoundly touching visit to his hometown after a long absence. However, a good part of Life has nothing to do with the river directly but is at least as engrossing as what does. Twain's many asides are full of wit and insight; few have ever probed so deeply into life and humanity, and we are lucky to have his wisdom, much of which is hilarious. Especially engaging are observations on North/South differences, notably including the Civil War. Twain's sociopolitical criticism is also as brilliant as ever, taking on everything from architecture to Walter Raleigh to speech. Finally, Life would be valuable even if lacking all this because it passes on an invaluable treasure of American folklore.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is simply an indispensable part of the American canon. Among many other things, it is a rich, stunningly accurate portrayal of the antebellum South. It is also an enduring portrait of childhood. Quite simply, it is a masterpiece. Huck is a character to whom all can relate, no matter who we are or how ostensibly far removed. The novel's American dialect use was also extremely influential. A quote you often see is the one Ernest Hemingway himself made about this being the American novel's very archetype. And it is true. Tom Sawyer was the first step, but this is the culmination. It is here that American literature found its voice and stepped out from its neglected step-child relationship with English literature, and its immense influence on later American work cannot be overestimated. Finally, its portrayal of slavery was a very immediate thing as well. Its influence on such writers as William Faulkner and John Steinbeck - as well as, in some form, literally all great literature to come from America - is profound. For this reason, and for its sheer adventure and narrative drive, it is an essential read for all.

Though not Mark Twain's best novel, Pudd'nhead Wilson is a major work essential for fans and critics. Published in 1894, it is Twain's last significant novel and in some ways the culmination of prior ones but also looked to the future - not so much his own work as the complex twentieth century novels that it in many ways prefigures.

The basic plot is so improbable as to be near-absurd, a fact exacerbated by simple, melodramatic presentation. This is doubtless partly because Twain wrote at near-superhuman speed when desperately in need of money, doing little revision and not being overly concerned with the book as art. This means Pudd'nhead is not his best literary work but lends the not inconsiderable virtue of extremely fast reading. One can easily plow through in an hour or two - even in one setting - and will likely want to because the story is supremely engrossing, pulling us in immediately and never letting go. In this it is very different from most late Victorian novels. Of course, as always with Twain, the structure is also partly satirical - a parody of the sensational mysteries then wildly popular and which Twain elsewhere mocked. Later works - e.g, Tom Sawyer, Detective - were also structural parodies, but this is significantly more successful. Twain pokes insightful but essentially gentle fun at stories that were ridiculously bombastic. Needless to say, this does not prevent enjoying Pudd'nhead on a very simple level as a murder mystery full of suspense, plot twists, and highly wrought revelations. It is quite likable even on this level and has been enjoyed for over a century on account of this alone.

However, Twain also deals with very serious themes. Like many of Twain's best-known works, this is set in antebellum small town Missouri and gives a fascinating peek into the culture, speech, and landscape of that time and place. This would make the valuable even if it had nothing else, but it also has many other virtues. Twain's wit always had an acerbic streak, but he became increasingly pessimistic and cynical and came to believe in something very near determinism. Pudd'nhead was his first real novelistic expression of this last, vividly dramatizing - in a way recalling but complexly different from The Prince and the Pauper - how environment determines character. The novel leaves very little room for free will - a thought highly disturbing to many; thus, though almost never considered such, Twain was an important member of the naturalist school flourishing near century's end. Even more disturbing is the book's unflinching human evil depiction; Tom is one of the most loathsomely vile characters ever, fully self-absorbed and seemingly conscienceless. Later Twain works focused even more obsessively on humanity's rather large dark side, but this is more than stunning. Unlike those works, mostly unpublished in Twain's life, this is still livened with the light elements mentioned before plus a profusion of the country humor for which Twain had long been famous. Tenuously straddling the line, ostensibly the latter but leaning toward darkness and seemingly struggling to avoid falling in altogether, are the aphorisms beginning each chapter. They usually relate in some way to what follows but are sometimes little more than an excuse for Twain to throw in ever-darkening wit. The sayings, several of which have become among his most famous, have penetrating insight into life and human nature and are so great that the book is well worth buying for them alone.

We think of Twain as epitomizing his era, as he certainly does, but he was also always well ahead of his time in many ways. Quite remarkably considering the brevity and simple structure, Pudd'nhead has many such examples. First, as often with Twain, its race presentation was very advanced. As Langston Hughes observes, the presentation of blacks as human beings by a white Southern writer who grew up with slavery is truly remarkable. Twain was one of his era's great liberals, condemning racism and promoting the essential humanity of all people; that he has become the unfortunate victim of absurdly perverse, politically correct, knee-jerk overreaction is so viciously ironic that it would be hilarious if it were not so sad. The novel was practically revolutionary in showing that people are not good or bad, smart or dumb because of race. The sympathetic picked up the general drift, but the truly nuanced portrayal was virtually unnoticed and did not really reappear in fiction - or indeed science - for several decades. Pudd'nhead deals with complex psychological, sociological, criminological, and Freudian factors when such things were hardly even known concepts. It is also highly noteworthy as a very early depiction of fingerprinting's criminal application - surely the first fictional instance and one of the first period. Hughes points out that that the concept had been proposed only sixteen years before, and initial application began merely two years earlier. It has of course been so ubiquitously used in fiction since that the grand finale is not only obvious almost from the start but seems patently contrived. However, Twain's audience could have had no idea what was coming, and the climax must have been absolutely spellbinding.

A Kid Remembers
My husband who is physically inactive remembered reading this book as a young child and needed something to interest him in his "latter years", mentioned liking this author from his youth so I found it on Amazon and it is so much more than I expected. Has several of Mark Twain's stories and has grabbed his interest greatly. He is reading and savoring it like a real treasure. Great find. Thanks to Amazon..

Uncle Tom to Master Tom
My review will focus on "Puddin Head Wilson". It is a story without "time limits", even though the "time has gone" because it encompasses the human condition known as "blood being thicker than water". Or should be. But that also depends largely upon a lot of other things, it would appear, from Twain's Tale of social injustice begetting social revenge that backfires in yet again another twist of fate manipulated.Most of us wish to give our children what we did not have ourselves, but our goals usually revolve around how to send them to the best college, or just find a way to send them to "a" college. This tale opens to us a whole new meaning of the idea, as well as denoting the dogged determination of a man with a mission - whom everyone referred to as Puddin' head because not only did he not fit a "norm", he (and his intellect)was far ahead of his time.History is full of them.

This is the story of Roxy, a slave in the days of the Old South, withjust enough colored blood to qualify her as a slave, but not enough to be visible for others "to know it unless they knew it". In other words, Roxy could pass for white.She also had an infant son of her own, who was born within the same time frame as that of her white nursery charge; and since she was the one who raised the plantation owner's children anyway, there was little chance of their noticing that she had decided to switch the children in their infancy so that her own son would assume the advantages of the blood child of the plantation owner as well as his name, Tom Driscoll. She then hoped to one day in the future to tell her natural son the truth, and thereby make good her own escape from slavery somehow by proxy. She trusted fate and threw it to the wind. It was a fine plan, but Roxy could not know at the moment how far awry it would go for her.

The years go by; the owners child is reared as the slave while Roxy's own is reared as royalty; things begin to take a turn for the worse; Roxy has to watch while her own flesh and blood goes against her in the most agonizing ways. Instead of becoming a well-educated young man of good character, it is soon apparent that nothing good is going to come of his good fortune at the hands of his desperate mother. He evolves into a drunk and a gambler; debauched beyond control, he sells Roxy "down the river" for money to pay his gambling debts.

She takes refuge in an abandoned building, and what ensues when Tom comes to meet her is the stuff of legends.The tirade of Roxy towards her untrustworthy, disloyal, "misplaced by her own hand" son after she discovers his treachery - was truly a piece of literature.Her amazingly articulate oratory gave us an inside glipse of what it truly meant to be a slave; but more than that, it was a magnificently designed, tragic outpouring of unbelieving grief; her betrayal at the hands of her child; her subsequent wrath at discovery of same; her admonitions while accepting the reality of her fate; inexoriably mixed with a mother's deep-rooted love for a treasonous child - is one of the reasons Mark Twain was and is unarguably one of the best of his kind through any century.

Puddin' Head figures in this story as the free-thinking individual who was dabbling in - of all things - a crazy theory he had called "fingerprints".He was able to solve "the" murder with them, but that is all that should be disclosed in a review.

For those who haven't read this one, I highly recommend it, and the LOA is one of the best places to seek out fine old literature revisited.A lot like a Deep South version of The Prince and The Pauper, the story nonetheless is far more gripping, in my view because it is readily conceivable that it could actually have happened. Further, it is complimented with "Puddinhead Wilson's Calendar" inserts, which are tiny stories in their own right, encapsuled in a few words, but mighty in their context.

A beautiful edition of an American Classic
The eleven- hundred pages of this volume contain a tremendous amount of literary enjoyment. They contain the truly greatest Twain, Huckleberry Finn and its companion, Tom Sawyer. There is also the picture of that other world, the life on the river the autobiographical 'Life on the Mississippi'. I have never been a great fan of Puddinhead Wilson but others think otherwise. Twain is as everyone knows America's greatest writer of humor, but also its great explorer of hidden mysteries of character, and intricacies of the American landscape and language. A great character himself he was great too in the creation of unforgettable literary characters.
For the person who has space in their home and loves the solid feel of the real book, this volume is a treasure. ... Read more

Product Description
The fascinating story of a lost city and an unprecedented American civilization

While Mayan and Aztec civilizations are widely known and documented, relatively few people are familiar with the largest prehistoric Native American city north of Mexico-a site that expert Timothy Pauketat brings vividly to life in this groundbreaking book. Almost a thousand years ago, a city flourished along the Mississippi River near what is now St. Louis. Built around a sprawling central plaza and known as Cahokia, the site has drawn the attention of generations of archaeologists, whose work produced evidence of complex celestial timepieces, feasts big enough to feed thousands, and disturbing signs of human sacrifice. Drawing on these fascinating finds, Cahokia presents a lively and astonishing narrative of prehistoric America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Excellent Insight
As an amateur Historian, I must say this book is a must have! I am fascinated with ancient history, yet my knowledge mainly revolves around Eurasian, Mesopotamian, and Asian bronze/iron age histories. As I am quite unfamiliar with the history of American Native cultures of North America, save for that which occurred post Western contact, this book was a great insight into the culture, technology, religion, and lifestyles of the predecessors to modern Native Americans. The author doesnt have the most engrossing writing style, and is a bit bland, so this book is more geared towards those who have a thirst for history in general, or love all things Native American history. The findings at Cahokia most certainly challenge the widely held beliefs of Native Americans of most contemporary Americans/Westerners. I couldnt put this down once I started, and it wont ever be out of my personal library.

Useful Introduction
Cahokia is the modern name for the remarkable prehistoric mid-Missisippi urban center that flourished from around 1050 and the subsequent 2 centuries.While population estimates vary, Cahokia proper and its immediate hinterland probably boasted a population in the 10,000s.Cahokia was unprecedented north of Mesoamerica and there were no comparably sized urban centers north of Mexico until the Colonial period.Remarkably, Cahokia appears to have emerged preciptiously in the mid-llth century without any clear precursors.The author is a leading expert on the archaeology of Cahokia and prehistoric America.Pauketat primarily focuses on the archaeology of Cahokia and how these archaeological findings can be interpreted to reconstruct crucial features of Cahokia.There is some discussion of changing perspectives in archaeology and the history of Cahokia archaeology. Pauketat makes strong efforts to place Cahokia in a very wide perspective, trying to link Cahokia to Mesoamerican civilizations and to explore the possible long-term consequences of Cahokian culture for subsequent cultures.Pauketat suggests that Cahokia arose as a "Big Bang," probably as a result of a major cultural-religous innovation that produced a major ceremonial center and a relatively complex and violent polity.Pauketat suggests that Cahokian culture and the fall of Cahokia resonated across eastern and central North America for subsequent centuries.A prominent feature is the fragmentary nature of the evidence about Cahokia and prehistoric North America.Beyond the intrinsic limitations of the archaeological record, knowledge of Cahokia is limited by the fact that much of Cahokia and related sites were destroyed prior to modern archaeological investigations.Like other books in this series, the bibliography is excellent and a nice guide to further reading.

While this book contains a lot of interesting information, there are some significant limitations.Pauketat's general approach is to mix descriptions of important excavations with discussions of Cahokian history and culture.Unfortunately, this method results in information about Cahokia emerging implicitly rather than explicitly.A more conventional narrative approach supplemented by analysis of archaeological findings would probably have been better.Pauketat also focuses too much on the history of Cahokia archaeology; its really not that interesting to know about the personal quirks of some of the archaeologists involved.Finally, Pauketat's efforts to place Cahokia in larger context are admirable and interesting but not always convincing because of the fragmentary nature of the evidence.

Boooring
I was originally excited about the subject, but became very disappointed in the result. The book is very dry and took an effort to finish. Also, how could there be only one illustration? This book is ripe for more sketches to aid the reader in visualizing the written commentary. Read only if you are very interested in the subject.

Some interesting pre-history
I had high hopes for this book.I heard about Cahokia from a couple different sources and was intrigued by the idea of this large pre-history society in America that rivaled the Aztecs and Mayans.And it remains true that this society was large and had a relatively high degree of complexity.However, the book probes what we know about Cahokia, and we know quite little.

I find the book grasping for a larger significance but falling short.I see very little lasting legacy of Cahokia.It doesn't seem that they contributed anything lasting to subsequent societies.I do still find it interesting that they comprised such an empire which essentially disintegrated and was virtually unknown for many years after white settlement.What caused them to fall apart?The book addresses this question, but comes off more pedantic than inquisitive.

America's Ancient Lost City
It's amazing how few people know much of anything about the ancient history of North America. Even less about the mound builders or the lost city of Cahokia. Most still think the natives were barbarians barely out of the caves. Finally, after years of destruction, Cahokia is getting the studies and preservation it deserves. Ancient sites are still subject to destruction, but now more people see the folly in this. Cahokia has many mysteries, but as the book describes, the mesoamerican influence in this ancient city seems likely. We may never know all of this lost city's secrets, but this book is a great step in informing the public. Only downside is its lack of illustrations. See also Mound Builders, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus and Advanced Civilizations of Prehistoric America: The Lost Kingdoms of the Adena, Hopewell, Mississippians, and Anasazi. ... Read more

Product Description
“Mark Twain was the first truly American writer, and all of us since are his heirs.”
--William Faulkner

A brilliant amalgam of remembrance and reportage, by turns satiric, celebratory, nostalgic, and melancholy, Life on the Mississippi evokes the great river that Mark Twain knew as a boy and young man and the one he revisited as a mature and successful author. Written between the publication of his two greatest novels, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, TwainÂ’s rich portrait of the Mississippi marks a distinctive transition in the life of the river and the nation, from the boom years preceding the Civil War to the sober times that followed it.

Library of America Paperback Classics feature authoritative texts drawn from the acclaimed Library of America series and introduced by todayÂ’s most distinguished scholars and writers. Each book features a detailed chronology of the authorÂ’s life and career, and essay on the choice of the text, and notes.

The contents of this Paperback Classic are drawn from Mark Twain: Mississippi Writings, volume number 5 in the Library of America series. It is joined in the series by six companion volumes, gathering the collected works of Mark Twain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

My favorite Mark Twain Book
After 82 years you would think that this book would be in my distant past. If I had known of all the history about my state of Arkansas, that lies along the Mississippi River, I would have read my favorite Mark Twain book years ago. The book gave me an opportunity to sit and listen to 19th century conversations. It has become one of my reference books.

Great Companion
I bought the book for a trip I was taking down the Mississippi River during the summer of 2010.It did not disappoint.There was all of Twain's wit, great storytelling, and wonderful descriptions of the River that served as a wonderful campanion for our family's trip.

Nice pleasure trip
How is it a book written 120 years ago can still be so funny?He's just that good. It's true, some pieces of this are dated and, frankly, the facts regarding populations and cargo tonnage and numbers of schools in various towns is not very interesting, but there is only so much of that to put up with.Most of the rest is just pure fun to read. Some of it, laugh-out-loud fun to read. And it comes down not so much to the stories themselves but how Twain tells them with such great wit and perfect turn of phrase.If you like Twain, this is a must.

An Audience with Mark Twain

Mark Twain's-how to describe it?-reminiscences cum travelogue takes you on an expansive tour of the Mississippi river.Twain reveals where he got his nom de plume,tells of his time as a steamboat pilot and compares the pre civil war Mississippi to the progressive America of 1882.
In between acts he gives us a preview chapter of his upcoming novel 'Huckleberry Fynn' (though I cant for the life of me recall it in the book, though its a long while since I read it),a few tall tales,statistics of the river and its Towns and would have us believe that his childhood hero was a carpenter who confessed to being a serial killer!
I love Mark Twain. As it says in the introduction, this is a great 'hodgepodge' of a book,being statistical journelese one moment,then pure Twain the next,and its this pure Twain that keeps you on board reading even the appendices at the end!
Its obvious Twain couldn't stand the twee 'Merry England' novels of Sir Walter Scott,which no doubt he deplored as a boy,but I think he's dragging us into one of his famous exagerations when he blames Scott, not only for the outdated chivelry nonsense that plagued the Southern sensibilities of his day,but also for being the fundamental cause of the civil war!! As I say, pure Twain!
I guess if we went back to the days of 'sexist' literature-'Boy's' books and 'Girl's' books-'Life on...' would be a boys book,but it is also a fascinating piece of historical reading; Twain looking back on a bygone era whilst we today read his 130 year old account of things.
And when looking back on historical times,who better to read than someone who was there? Who better to read than Mark Twain?

Essential American Literature
Mark Twain is synonymous worldwide with the Mississippi River, mainly because of the Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn stories. However, Life on the Mississippi is just as important and, in a testament to Twain's greatness, nearly as readable despite being non-fiction. It details his history with the river and gives an overview of the river itself; this may sound boring, and almost certainly would be with anyone else, but I long ago decided that even Twain's laundry list would be worth reading, and this certainly is. The magic he seemed to bring to everything is in full force; one would be very hard-pressed to find another non-fiction book that is so entertaining, besides Twain's others of course, but it is also awesomely informative. In addition, Life is historically notable as the first book written on a typewriter, not Huck as is commonly thought; however, it made Twain able to finish Huck, which he had struggled with for some years and set aside. Huck fans and scholars will want to read Life for this alone, but it is more than worthy in itself.

Twain starts by giving some basic facts and history; this is the least interesting part but only lasts a few pages, and I urge anyone bored by it to continue. Much of the information is of course dated but remains historically valuable as a portrait of the river as it then stood. Far more interesting is Twain's unforgettable rundown of his years as a riverboat pilot - a central life experience that led to much of his writing. We get a fascinating glimpse of this long-vanquished trade, which was all but unthinkable even when Life was published. It is important to recall that Twain was a pilot before such boats had steam or even lights at night. He details piloting's extraordinary difficulties with engrossing detail and typical self-deprecating humor. We learn much along the way about the riverboat lifestyle, the river itself, and riverside towns. Anyone curious about what it was like to live in this era and/or how its inhabitants thought and acted will find a wealth of information; we learn as much here as in any history book, and it is of course infinitely better written. Life covers a crucial American history era and is an important primary source even for those not interested in Twain and certainly essential for anyone who is, as it gives substantial background about a crucial part of his life. The book is indeed in part a bildungsroman; Twain had always loved the river and began pilot training soon after first leaving home. He structures the narrative so that it reads much like a story, and we see him grow from naïveté and ignorance to an admirable experience and wisdom.

Twain then details a trip he made on the river many years later, noting what changed and what stayed the same. There is significant autobiographical material here also, but the crux is descriptive. Twain describes the river's whole length and everything having to do with it as he goes, making it all utterly absorbing. As always, there are many eminently readable tangents. Several are autobiographical - reminisces as well as then recent events. Particularly interesting is Twain's profoundly touching visit to his hometown after a long absence. However, a good part of Life has nothing to do with the river directly but is at least as engrossing as what does. Twain's many asides are full of wit and insight; few have ever probed so deeply into life and humanity, and we are lucky to have his wisdom, much of which is hilarious. Especially engaging are observations on North/South differences, notably including the Civil War. Twain's sociopolitical criticism is also as brilliant as ever, taking on everything from architecture to Walter Raleigh to speech. Finally, Life would be valuable even if lacking all this because it passes on an invaluable treasure of American folklore.

Life is quite simply required reading for anyone even remotely interested in American literature; it is essential Twain, which makes it simply essential.
... Read more

Product Description
'I am a person who would quit authorizing in a minute to go to piloting,' Mark Twain once remarked. 'I would rather sink a steamboat than eat, any time.' And in 1882, Twain did just that: he returned to the river of his youth as a mature writer determined to expand seven articles which he had serialized in The Atlantic Monthly in 1875 into the definitive travelogue on the great Mississippi. Although Life on the Mississippi was not commercially successful when first published in May 1883, it is the work that Twain later claimed was the favorite among his books. Twain's rich portrait of the Mississippi also marks a distinctive transition in the life of the nation, from the boom years preceding the Civil War to the sober times that followed. Yet it is infused with the irreverent humor that was his trademark. 'Mark Twain was the first writer who ever used the American vernacular at the level of art,' said Bernard de Voto. 'He had a greater effect than any other writer on the evolution of American prose.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Great stories
This is a great collection of stories from a master. More of a journal than a finished work. The kindle version was fairly well done with a number of formatting errors, but nothing so bad to not make it worth the free price. Thanks for kindling this. I may not have read it otherwise.

Kudos to Amazon!
Kudos to Amazon for making "Life on the Mississippi" available for free for the Kindle and the iPhone Kindle application!Twain's book is a rambling affair, and in fact, its somewhat quirky form makes it read more like a present-day book than a product of its time.Twain's style is engaging.This might be clearest in the historical sections, where, if you think that all historical narratives are dry and academic, "Life on the Mississippi" will prove you wrong.As many other reviewers note, this is an entirely different view of Mark Twain's work than the novels that tend to find themselves relegated to study in the public schools, and in many ways both more informative and more fun.Thanks again to Amazon for making this and other important public domain books available for free download!

Much too long and unfocused
Had Twain stopped after the first section, in which he describes riverboat piloting and his exploits therein, I would have come away with a positive impression of the book. His piloting writings were entertaining and interesting, even though not particularly relevant in today's world.

However the later chapters ruin the book. Twain documents his return to the Mississippi with a plethora of miscellaneous descriptions and loosely related anecdotes. These sections range from only mildly entertaining to just plain boring, as Twain doesn't even use his humor to save them.

In the end the disappointment of the second half outweighs the enjoyment of the first half.

Take a careful look at the Publisher before you buy "Life on the Mississippi"
When you do the "Look Inside" thing, you'll read "This view is of the Mass Market Paperback edition (1983) from Bantam Classics. The Paperback edition (2010) from General Books LLC that you originally viewed is the one you'll receive if you click the Add to Cart button at left." And that's correct. The General Books LLC version is a completely different book. To wit....

General Books LLC puts together books using an OCR automated scanning device which can miss complete pages. There are many many Typos and no table of contents. There books receive NO EDITING of any kind, also, the OCR scanning is done by a robot (which the publishers website outright says can miss pages). This is all stated on the publishers web site (google them and read for yourself to get all the details). Almost every review of books published by General Books LLC (around 500,000 of them from one imprint or another now listed on Amazon) by buyers is negative, many are extremely so.

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Unique Twain Greatness
Mark Twain is synonymous worldwide with the Mississippi River, mainly because of the Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn stories. However, Life on the Mississippi is just as important and, in a testament to Twain's greatness, nearly as readable despite being non-fiction. It details his history with the river and gives an overview of the river itself; this may sound boring, and almost certainly would be with anyone else, but I long ago decided that even Twain's laundry list would be worth reading, and this certainly is. The magic he seemed to bring to everything is in full force; one would be very hard-pressed to find another non-fiction book that is so entertaining, besides Twain's others of course, but it is also awesomely informative. In addition, Life is historically notable as the first book written on a typewriter, not Huck as is commonly thought; however, it made Twain able to finish Huck, which he had struggled with for some years and set aside. Huck fans and scholars will want to read Life for this alone, but it is more than worthy in itself.

Twain starts by giving some basic facts and history; this is the least interesting part but only lasts a few pages, and I urge anyone bored by it to continue. Much of the information is of course dated but remains historically valuable as a portrait of the river as it then stood. Far more interesting is Twain's unforgettable rundown of his years as a riverboat pilot - a central life experience that led to much of his writing. We get a fascinating glimpse of this long-vanquished trade, which was all but unthinkable even when Life was published. It is important to recall that Twain was a pilot before such boats had steam or even lights at night. He details piloting's extraordinary difficulties with engrossing detail and typical self-deprecating humor. We learn much along the way about the riverboat lifestyle, the river itself, and riverside towns. Anyone curious about what it was like to live in this era and/or how its inhabitants thought and acted will find a wealth of information; we learn as much here as in any history book, and it is of course infinitely better written. Life covers a crucial American history era and is an important primary source even for those not interested in Twain and certainly essential for anyone who is, as it gives substantial background about a crucial part of his life. The book is indeed in part a bildungsroman; Twain had always loved the river and began pilot training soon after first leaving home. He structures the narrative so that it reads much like a story, and we see him grow from naïveté and ignorance to an admirable experience and wisdom.

Twain then details a trip he made on the river many years later, noting what changed and what stayed the same. There is significant autobiographical material here also, but the crux is descriptive. Twain describes the river's whole length and everything having to do with it as he goes, making it all utterly absorbing. As always, there are many eminently readable tangents. Several are autobiographical - reminisces as well as then recent events. Particularly interesting is Twain's profoundly touching visit to his hometown after a long absence. However, a good part of Life has nothing to do with the river directly but is at least as engrossing as what does. Twain's many asides are full of wit and insight; few have ever probed so deeply into life and humanity, and we are lucky to have his wisdom, much of which is hilarious. Especially engaging are observations on North/South differences, notably including the Civil War. Twain's sociopolitical criticism is also as brilliant as ever, taking on everything from architecture to Walter Raleigh to speech. Finally, Life would be valuable even if lacking all this because it passes on an invaluable treasure of American folklore.

Life is quite simply required reading for anyone even remotely interested in American literature; it is essential Twain, which makes it simply essential. As for this edition, it is essentially bare bones. Anyone wanting supplemental material will need to look elsewhere, but this will do well for most, as the text stands very well on its own.
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This digital document is a journal article from The Journal of Academic Librarianship, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
A usability survey was conducted at the University of Mississippi Libraries as part of the ongoing assessment of the library and its services. By setting criteria to measure the success of the survey, librarians at UM were able to assess if the library home page successfully met the goals and mission statement of the library. ... Read more

Product Description
Vintage book: Steamboats on the Mississippi (American Heritage Junior Library) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mark Twain would have really loved this book
The American Heritage Junior Library was one of the most richly illustrated set of juvenile history books ever produced, even if they were largely written during the administrations of JFK and LBJ."Steamboats on the Mississippi" plays on the inevitable association between "Mississippi" and "steamboat" that most Americans have to look at the important role the Mississippi River played.Author Ralph K. Andrist is telling the story of the river that drains one of the world's largest watersheds, that has a valley that extends from the Rockies to the Gulf of Mexico, and which has borne the world's largest indland fleet since the early 1800s.Consequently, "Steamboats on the Mississippi" is the story of great men, great steamboats, and great legends.

This book is filled with a wealth of contemporary paintings and prints, as well as rarely seen photographs, that describe the Mississippi steamboat and the world through which it moved.The emphasis of Andrist's narrative is on the heyday of western steamboating, which began when Nicholas Roosevelt launched the first steamboat in the West, the "New Orleans," in 1811, and continued for the rest of the 19th century.This book is mostly about the boats, but we also learn about the men that built then, the communities that rose along the banks of the river, as well as the tale tales and legends that sprung up about the steamboats and their often tragic ends.The result is an informative visual treat that shows why these American Heritage Junior History books are still around after forty years. ... Read more

Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. During a heavy rainstorm in 1930s rural Mississippi, a ten-year-old white boy sees a bus driver order all the black passengers off a crowded bus to make room for late-arriving white passengers then set off across the raging Rosa Lee River. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

It was a great little book, thanks!
Although it is considered a children's book, I loved it.I wish the book was bigger and the story longer, but it is what it is.Thanks,

At a time of Barack Obama being nominated for President, it is good to look back at what was
This book is about the old south, a place of deep-seated segregation and racial bias. It is told through the eyes and voice of a lightly educated white boy named Jeremy whose father despises blacks. Yet, the boy clearly has not had the race hatred deeply ingrained into his persona, as he tries to be friendly and feels bad when the whites mistreat a black man (Josias) for simply stating that he has a job. His father beats Jeremy for simply talking kindly to Josias. The time context is that of the 1930's when unemployment was high, so the whites despise the black man for "taking a job away from a white man."
It is raining hard and the store is also a bus stop. When an elderly black woman arrives to get on the bus, she is accompanied by several of her grandchildren. They are forced to go to the back of the bus and then, when additional whites want to take the bus, the driver forces all the black people off the bus. Josias is physically thrown off into the mud.
However, when the bus slides off a bridge into the swollen creek, it is Jeremy and Josias who are the first responders, Josias doing all he can to save the very people who treated him so badly.
At a time when the Democratic party has nominated a black man as their candidate for President of the United States, it is good to keep reminding ourselves of the significance of this event. Only a few decades ago, blacks were treated in a manner depicted in this book and some were even killed for standing up for themselves. This book should be read by all elementary students as a reminder of the way things were.

The Event that stops discrimination
The genre of `Mississippi Bridge' is realistic fiction. In Mississippi during the 1930's whites were given special treatment over the other people who were `of color'. The theme is hope because it does get better for everyone at the end. In the story the conflict is that blacks are mistreated and that whites have more `power' over what happens; also that when more people who were white came on the bus Josias, Stacey and their grandmother off the bus in order to make more room. We did like the ending and how the town comes toghter. Though, what we did not like was how the Josias, Stacey and their grandmother had to get off just to make more room for other people who were not in the same `social class' as them. This book was very good and had many exciting parts in the story; all kids would love reading this book.

mississippi bridge
the book in,nt the best the best book I have read but the book is good .I like the part when the bus falls in the river and they have to rescew the people out of the water and take care of grandma. this is the part that almost made me saub!!!!!!!!!

Mississippi Wonders
Mississippi Bridge is about Stacy Logan, her brothers and sisters, and Josias Williams. Josias Williams is taking the bus to a new job because a flood coming through the town ruined his last job. In the 1930s black people were not treated equally because of their skin color. But then Stacy Logan, her brothers and sisters, and Josias Williams and Stacey's grandmother get on the bus but something happens and the town has a horrifying nightmare that will change the townspeople's lives forever.
The book takes place in Mississippi in the 1930s during the time of the great depression.
The problem is really about how Jeremy Simms always watches as the weekly bus comes from Jackson and goes through his town. But one day on the way from the stop the bus goes over a bridge and a flash flood sweeps the bus into the rivers. The bus ride becomes more than just a daily routine, it becomes a situation between life and death.
The theme of the story is about four kids always being told you can't try this on unless you are going to buy it because they are black. But one day they get on the bus and their friend Josias and Stacy's grandmother get kicked off the bus and the four kids are left alone. The bus driver doesn't know that a flash flood has occurred. Something happens that changes their lives forever.
The main characters are Josias Williams, Stacy Logan, her brothers and sisters, and Jeremy Simms who is trying to find a job.
The mood of the story is very adventurous and can be at some times mad, scary, and sad at one time.
The grade and age group for this book is for 5th grade and from 11-13 years old students/kids.

By Josh
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Product Description
Discovery Library of Natural Wonders - Explore a world where fountains of steaming water burst through cracks in the Earth, where trees stand taller than the Statue of Liberty and mountains are veiled in a ghostly mist. Discover how Death Valley got its name and read about the creatures that have made their home in these "natural wonders." ... Read more

Product Description
THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Traces the Mississippi River from its source near Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and discusses its history, towns, and physical features. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Rare eyewitness account of life in Alabama Territory
This excellent book is a rare, detailed,eye-witness account of early Alabama history including the Territory days.Gaines was a highly intelligent, educated man who moved to the Mississippi Territory in what is now Southwestern Alabama above Mobile to become the assistant factor to the Choctaw Indians
just after the US decides to set up its own houses or "factories"to trade with the Indian tribes.
Gaines has a long ,colorful, variedcareer inearly Alabama.
The following outline is what the book primarily covers:

A- Gaines'sDealing with the Choctaw Tribes
1-detailed accounts of various Choctaw chiefs and choctaw traders including the famous Pushmataha.
2- Gaines's detailed account of the Choctaw removal including the scouting party to select village sites for the Choctaws.

B-Gaines's Career as a Choctaw Agent
1- his inability to get paid for his services and bad dealings with Lewis Cass in Washington City.
2-his good relations with the Choctaws and fondness for them.
3- detailed accounts of an Indian agent and routine life

C- Gaine'sCareer as a State Senator and State banker
1- He is elected to a short term as an early state Senator but very little detail is given here. This is when the state capitol is moved from Cahaba to Tuscaloosa.
2- He has an interesting career as a State banker and is chosen to sell state bonds for a huge sum of money wherever and however he can. He also lobbies for a railroad to be built from Mobile north. the story of being Alabama' s first bond salesman
is most interesting.

D- Gaine'sencounter with ex- vice-president Aaron Burr.
It is the brother of Gaines, Gen Gaines,who captures Burr in Southwestern Alabama ( then Ms Territory) and delivers him to Richmond,Va. They have an interestingvisit with Burr at the home of Gaines as Burr is found near their home.

E- The Creek Wars of 1813-14 and Andrew Jackson
After the Massacre of Fort Mims, it is Gaines who writes and informs Gen Jackson of the massacrewhich brings the Tennessee Volunteers to the Alabama Territory to attack the hostile Creeks. Gaines is a personal friend of Andrew Jackson.

F- Gaines'sEncounters with famous people.....
For a man living in the wilderness of the Alabama and Mississippi Territory, Gaines knows a lot of important people.
a short list of the people he knows and meets is:

1- Aaron Burr
2- Andrew Jackson
3- Lewis Cass
4- General Desnouettes of the French Colony
5- Albert Gallatin
6- many Alabama Governors and senators
7- All of theChoctaw chiefs and traders during his time period

Its apparent that the first love in Gaines career was his Choctaw indians. the trading house,and his management of the affairs with the various chiefs and treaties and his management of the eventualChoctaw removal to the west.

Gaines speaks very little here of his family or his career in politics as a state senator.

This book is highly recommended to students of Alabama or Choctaw Indian history. It is in a class with
Woodward's"Reminiscenses"or LouisMilforts "memoires" concerning eye witness accounts of early life in what became the state of Alabama. Much of Pickett's history of Alabama was provided to Pickett by Mr Gaines. Other important primary accounts of Alabama history are those of Adair, Bartram, and, Romans which are more general in nature and also appy to Georgia and Florida.

This collection of memoiresis well edited and provides fine notes and references along with an index of important people within the book as well as maps.

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Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. A widely hailed social commentary, this contemporary classic is the autobiography of a young black girl growing up in the Deep South. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (106)

Compelling autobiography!
If you ever wanted a first-hand account of life as a black person in the Deep South of Mississippi before and during the Civil Rights movement, then this is the book to read.Excellently written by Ann Moody, a woman who grew up dirt poor in Mississippi, whose family had to struggle just to put food on the table. But as Ann herself put it, her greatest struggle growing up was "being black".And as she grew up and saw the injustices heaped upon herself and her family and friends just because of the color of their skin, Ann got involved in the various civil rights groups; she was one of the people involved in the famous Woolworth counter sit-ins. At that counter for 'whites only', she allowed herself to be ridiculed and taunted, have ketchup and mustard tossed on her, and get burned by cigerettes while the crowd around her grew to dangerous levels.I didn't grow up poor or black in the south, so I would never even begin to understand the suffering Ann went through, but she tells her story in such a remarkable way so that I can see her life through her eyes, and it's not a pretty picture. But she's a strong woman and very much to be admired.I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but it is sobering and a story that needed to be told.

There are very few reading experiences like Anne Moody's autobiography...
This book will really suck you in. It's hard for people who aren't from the South to understand the family dynamics, the method of speak, the rural center of it all, etc. But the time period covered while (possibly) somewhat far-removed from today's standards of living is what drives the story forward. The conditions described are both deplorable an' fascinating, an' anyone who thinks slavery ended in 1865 would be greatly challenged by the childhood stories recounted by Anne Moody. One'a the most vivid to me being her description of the chicken factory she worked at in New Orleans. There's no traditional arc here either an' no false hope, possibly because it was published in 1968 at the height of social unrest, but I wouldn't call it a downer either. Its as straightforward as it gets; tumultuous, surreal at times, filled with disillusion an' ultimate uncertainty. But, you will be better for having explored it. I've passed it on to several friends and (if I ever get it back) I intend to read it again.

Highly Recommended
This book is so clearly written and so interesting that I wanted to read on and on. Every so often I would stop and think that the storyline is so good and then I would remember that it's a true story which would further amaze me. I would forget that I am actually reading it for history class. We've always heard of the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but this gives us the story of one female activist who was in action during that time. We learn in more detail about how some of the less mentioned people in history conducted protests and sit ins and strived towards uniting African Americans to gain equality. The life story of Anne Moody is sure to keep you interested.

amazing account of history
If you want to understand truly the insanity of the prejudice in the south, this book is the truth. Written from a woman who lived it and fought for her freedom and that of her race. It is difficult to read at times. I had to put it down in disgust at the hatred and cruelty that white men have shown to Blacks in our country. It is so well written and should be used as a historical novel in English classes in our schools. Moody had so much courage at such a young age. Pass this one on. Use it in book clubs. Excellent.

Great Book. American History
Great Book. I had to read it for my History Class, my mom later read it and loved it.

This is American History, everyone should read it. ... Read more

Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. In Mississippi in 1955, a 16 year-old finds himself at odds with his grandfather over issues surrounding the kidnapping and murder of a 14- year-old African American from Chicago. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

great transaction
The book arrived in perfect condition. It also arrived in a timely fashion and am very pleased with this transaction.

Students Love It!
My students were required to read this novel. They loved it so, that it was hard to get them to put it down. Most of the students read the book in two days! As a culminating activity we viewed the film The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Tilland we conducted a comparison of the two. The students learned so much about this historical moment in history and I plan to make this a required reading next year as well!

1 out of 4 teachers would use this for a classroom
If you are not a teacher, you probably don't want to read this review...

We were introduced to this book through a graduate class and were intrigued with the idea that Chris Crowe's book renewed interest in the life, death and trial of Emmett Till.Our reviews, however, are conflicting.Truth be told, only one out of four of us would use this in our classroom.Our debates range from accurate portayal of historical events to an intriguing narrative intended to stimulate interest.
Exagggerated and invented events are the author's license, but when used to dramatize the already factually horrific events of Emmett's demise, they weaken the impact it had on us and we wonder who was impacted enough to pursue a reopening of the case.
The one teacher who would use this book in her classroom felt like the book represented the historical fiction genre well and would be engaging for middle school students.This is an ideal gateway book to pique curiosity into learning more about Emmett Till and origins of the Civil Rights Movement.

Meghan MC, Chris W., Lori O. and Erinn L.

Mississippi Trial, 1955
At first, Hiram is excited about visiting his favorite grandfather in Greenwood, Mississippi.But before long, Hiram begins to feel that the small town of Greenwood is not the same place where he spent the golden years of his childhood.Then he crosses paths with Emmett Till, a black teenager from Chicago who is also visiting over the summer, and Hiram sees firsthand how local white folk treat blacks who "don't know their place."When Emmett's body is found floating in a river, Hiram is determined to make sure justice is served.But what will it cost him?

Mississippi Trial, 1955 begins during Hiram's childhood with his grandpa in Greenwood, Mississippi.His parents could not raise him at the time because Hiram's dad was in the process of getting a master's degree in English at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).Hiram's heart was broken when he had to move to Tempe, Arizona for his father's job. Flash forward a few years.When Hiram was sixteen, his father reluctantly decided he was old enough to go back to Greenwood for the summer.Hiram arrived there happy, but as time went on, he could not shake the feeling that something was different.Then he met Emmett Till, a nice young black boy from Chicago.Hiram and Emmett see each other a few times at the Tallahatchie River, where Hiram played and shared food with Emmett (it was a little unusual down there for whites to hang out with blacks, but Hiram didn't mind). A few days later, a body of a young black man was found in that same river.Hiram thinks he knows something about the hate crime.A day before, Hiram's racist friend, RC Rydell, said something about planning to murder a black boy.Meanwhile, there is a huge media blow-up throughout the country about this cruel crime, so Hiram tells the country sheriff about what he heard.Hiram was subpoenaed to the impending trial to present his evidence, despite his grandfather's misgivings about it.At the trial, the defendants, Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam, explained how Emmett had made rude gestures to Mrs. Bryant the day before the homicide, but neither of them had killed Emmett.The plaintiff, Emmett's uncle Mose, said that Emmett had been kidnapped by the two men and driven off, never to be seen again.However, there was another man in the car, a blue Ford pickup truck by the looks of it.Just as he was about to testify about RC, Hiram discovered that RC had not even been in town the night of the murder, so it could not have been him.The all-white jury found Bryant and Milam innocent of all charges, even though they, in fact, did kill the young man.The morning after the trial, a few men came to pick up grandpa's blue Ford pickup after they bought it from him a couple days beforehand.Grandpa claimed the transmission went bad, but Hiram was not so sure.Finally, Ralph Remington, a neighbor who would talk in circles to anyone, told Hiram the real story of what had happened.Grandpa had been the third man in the pickup and had sold the truck to remove the evidence and perhaps, a little of his guilt.Hiram felt sick to his stomach, as if his whole world was crashing down.A couple days later, Hiram went back home to Tempe, where he and his father finally saw eye-to-eye... Dad had been right, the south was not a good place to be.

Mississippi Trial, 1955 is an excellent book to spite the sad reality of events.There is happiness as well to balance it out in this historically accurate story.

There were many examples of sadness in Mississippi Trial.One was when Hiram was a child, his grandma died.Hiram was very much upset, because he had lived with his grandparents for so long.Another example of sadness was when Hiram's new friend, Emmett Till, was found brutally murdered in the Tallahatchie River.The last bit of sadness was when Hiram discovered that his grandfather, whom he had known and trusted all his life, was part of the group who killed Emmett.That was like the final blow - Hiram felt broken after that.

The examples of happiness in Mississippi Trial were sparse, but nonetheless, they were there.One happy moment was when Hiram's father granted him permission to go back to Greenwood, the small town Hiram loved.Another was when he saw Naomi, the girl whom he rather liked, again.Hiram was happy because now he had someone who would criticize him when he talked about everything that was going on.The last example of happiness in the book was when Hiram and his dad made up when he came home - they did not always see eye-to-eye and they always argued.

Mississippi Trial was historically accurate in many ways, although the story about Hiram and his family was all fiction.One historically correct aspect of the book was, of course, the cold-blooded murder of Emmett Till, which aroused the entire nation.Another historically correct part was when Hiram's grandfather explained to Hiram that the Jim Crow Laws were the only thing keeping the southern schools segregated.The last major historically correct element of the story were how the jury was all white men, how the black people had to sit in the back of the courthouse, and how grandpa, a cotton farm owner,said the only reason black people were put on the Earth was so they could work the fields.

Mississippi Trial, 1955 was a very good book - I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good historically correct story, but does not mind a little bit of sadness mixed I as well, although there was happiness to balance things.


-Elizabeth H =]

Mississippi Trial, 1955
Welcome to the Delta. Back in 1955, slavery was still the way of life in Mississippi. No one cared about crimes committed to colored people. When a young colored boy is murdered for whistling at a white woman, no one but a young white boy, Hiram Hillburn, cared. I recommend this book to people who like reading about history.
This book really makes you appreciate the basic rights that we take for granted every day no matter what color or sex you are. Nowadays if you murder someone, you will suffer the consequences. The two men that murdered the colored boy, Emmit Till, got away with the murder with no punishment just because they were white.
Chris Crowe did an extremely good job of writing this book. The way he describes everything puts a descriptive picture in your mind. When a bully named R.C. Rydell was messing with Emmit Till, you can actually picture R.C. shoving fish guts all over Till's face. You can also see the tears dripping down the cheeks of Till's loved ones.
Suspense is a key factor in a book, but this book barely had any suspense. Once you figure out about the trial, you can already assume how the book is going to end by the reaction of the people in the Delta. Nobody cared about the murder, and some were happy about it because "it showed colored people their place".
This was a mediocre book. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good enough. Sometimes it just got really boring and you get tempted to put the book down and never pick it up again. Like when Hiram was dreaming about Naomi Rydell, R.C.'s sister. I only recommend this book to people who like reading about history.
D. Clayton
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